The Earthlings of Runeterra
by Steel Lycan
Summary: Two fates on completely different settings. One, enjoying life to the fullest, the other one weary; beaten down by life. Both are whisked away to their favorite game in order to observe how the so-called "Earthlings" in the world of Runeterra. Join them as they struggle to survive in a land of armored bears, talking trees and overgrown mantises!
1. Prologue 1

**Prologue: And So He Was Chosen.**

**Special thanks to Audiodelus for being such an awesome beta reader for me! Hurray!**

**Disclaimer: League of Legends aren't mine.**

"Ahhhh…." Grey sighed happily. Finally, he was out. It's currently the closing of Rampage 2014, an event for a game called League of Legends, one of the most popular games in the world. There are cosplayers roaming around, various booths selling their technological wares such as motherboards, video cards and whatnot, and of course the merchandise shop. Ranging from Teemo caps to Ahri hug pillows, none was spared as the beloved shop was stripped of product in an eye-bat. Luckily, he was able to get what he wanted most.

The Summoner's Robe.

It was basically a long, collared robe with a hood, lined with gold trim and a shirt-pant combination beneath. It comes in different colors: red, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, white and black and was also fully customizable. The procedure was to choose your design and color; Demacian, Noxian, Ionian, and other patterns based on the locations in the League Lore. Afterwards, you are to buy your décor which usually came in the form of trinkets and other novelty items, such as summoner icons, champion icons, and a lot more. Then finally the confirmation, where you review your choices before making the purchase.

"Oh yeah…" He said, wearing the cloak. He bought a black Void-style robe with red trims. He then heard the sound of footsteps running towards him.

"Hm?"

Turning around, he saw two of his friends, panting with hands on their knees. He raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"You guys done?" He asked to the two. One is a girl wearing a red Noxian Robe while the other one is a boy wearing a blue Demacian Robe. The girl was carrying a replica of Darius' Axe while the boy was carrying a Katarina hug pillow.

"Bro, What the hell?" Grey exclaimed, extending his palms in the pillow's direction.

"What 'what the hell'? I buy what I want to buy!" The boy replied, chuckling slightly. Suddenly, a person cosplaying as Lux grabbed Grey's shoulder.

"Wha—"

"_Come quickly!" _She whispered at his ear as she ran. Dragged along, he heard the hootings of his friends. The girl dragging him was indeed eye-catching. Turning his head to look at the woman who had pulled him away out of the blue, he was surprised at how beautiful she looked. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a sincere smile made up her pale, blushing face. The faint yellow strands danced through the wind in lieu with her translucent skirt as they bounced through the crowd. Noticing her wear, both armor and staff seemed so real, as if they were made of genuine battle-ready steel. Light rotated like neutrons on an atom at the balls of illumination present at both ends of her staff. A sort of translucent coating was seen beneath her armor. The somewhat fit dark blue clothing hugged her curves, showing off her body even more.

Grey subconsciously ogled her as they made their way towards a deserted area at the backstage. It wasn't an easy task for the woman since wherever they ran, people would follow them and take pictures.

"_This can't be real. A woman like THIS dragging me off? Am I in a sort of prank show? Or maybe she's a part of an international crime syndicate?!"_

Seeing that her target was in a mix of panic and exhaustion, the woman was confused. Noticing that the woman was looking at him strangely, Grey collected his wits and asked her.

"Wh-what—Miss, excuse me, but who are you and why are we here?" He asked. The girl covered his mouth with her right hand and with her left hand put her index finger on her lips.

"_Shh!"_

She then hurriedly removed her jacket and fixed her hair. Afterwards, she picked up her staff and pointed it in the air.

"Um, excuse me?" He said, lower this time. Instantly, a blue beam shot from the sky as the girl suddenly embraced him. Just as sudden as the girl's bold action, Grey's brain shut down instantly, leaving his jaw hanging open.

And off they went, through the blue sky and into the portal.

Wait, portal?

…

Ow.

That was the single word that described what he felt the moment he regained consciousness. That, and a strong, cool gale. The gently soothing wind caressed his face as he opened his eyes.

"_Where…where am I?" _He thought. The floor he was lying on was cold, with various rune-like markings etched on it. There were also circular lines around him, a circle inside another circle inside another, with him at the center.

"_What is this place?" _He thought again as he tried to stand up. A gauntleted hand reached out to help him up. It was the hand of the girl earlier. Taking her hand, he stood up groggily and dusted off his clothes.

"Are you alright?" The girl asked, smiling.

"Um, yeah, thanks." Looking around, he saw that he was in a sort of pit, surrounded with a large stone wall. At his far left side was a large, wooden, two-doored…door, with "runes" indentical to those on the ground, but larger. In contrast to the floor, the wall had no runes, but instead it had engraved art of sorts. There was various scenes of battle, construction, and other scenes etched on it. Each scene was separated by a large stone column. On top of this column was like the head of a rook chess piece, featuring a crenellated battlement, but instead of a square base, it was circular. At the opposite of the dual doors was a column larger than the rest. There was also a very large blue crystal hanging from the roof. He pondered all this as he approached each scene on the wall, touching the sculpted stone in complete fascination.

"_Wow…Wherever I am, it sure is a cool place!" _He thought as he traced the events one by one.

She kept smiling as he explored on like a little child seeing a car for the first time of his life. She was amused by just looking at him. The expressions on his face as he looked, the way he keeps adjusting his glasses, the cautious yet adventurous vibe he was giving off. This denizen of another dimension is certainly interesting, she giggled.

"_But, wait a minute. This is awfully similar to the pit used in the Champion Judgements in League. There are of course the things that weren't written in the lore but damn, is this even real?!"_

As she giggled, Grey turned his head to look at the woman. He started getting the feeling that he is somewhere far, very far from familiar territory. But, at the moment, he did not care. The place where he is is so fascinating for him. It was like seeing the Aboriginal paintings up close for the first time. That, and the beautiful giggling woman behind him.

"_Oh yeah, this girl looks an awful lot like Lux. Can it be…?"_

"Um." He called lowly.

"Hm?" She smiled again.

"Erm…where are we? And who are you?" He asked. If he was really kidnapped or something like that, he was pretty sure he would be bound and gagged. And besides, this place seems more like an ancient ruin rather than a hideout, except that it isn't really a ruin. It's as if he was transported to another dimension.

Wait. Wait a minute.

Another dimension?

_Oh yeah, just before I was unconscious this lady here somehow summoned a blue beam from the sky. After a few seconds of the beam hitting us and narrowing, we suddenly skyrocketed. Then I lost consciousness. Which means…_

He then turned to the blonde, who kept smiling at him.

_Luxanna Crownguard? The real one? No, no, that's impossible. This must be a dream. Yes, a dream. Too much Le—_

Suddenly, the runes on the floor glowed blue, as well as the carvings on the walls. The room lit up as the ceiling crystal shone in fiery blue. Atop the stone columns were some sort of orb, one in each column, with a hooded figure behind it, holding the orb.

_This…this is…_

_Real._

"**Welcome to the Institute of War, young one." **A low voice echoed from the northern column. The figure appeared to have a more sophisticated and longer robe, implying that he is a superior. The orb he was holding was also larger and seemed to burn, though he wasn't scalded.

_I'm not dreaming, am I?_

"**Thank you for your effort Luxanna. In return, your permission for a week of free time has been approved. Congratulations." **A man said from atop the gold-and-blue column. Is this Demacia?

"Yay! Thank you very much sir!" She almost jumped in happiness. So this is really Lux. The red-and-black column shone as the person atop commented.

_She IS Lux. Still can't believe all this._

"**You look like a lost puppy. Grow some backbone, boy!" **Noxus, definitely Noxus.

"**We are sorry for his rude behavior, mister. May we have your name?" **A mature feminine voice echoed from the green-and-marble-grey column. Ionia?

"Um, it's Grey. Grey de Rivera." He replied nervously.

"**There is no need to fear us, Grey." **A voice came from a purple-and-white column. I'm not sure but…Piltover?

"**Anyways." **The voice from the middle column coughed to get our attention.

"**Do you know why you are brought here, Mister?" **He asked.

"Um, no sir."

"**Do you want to?" **An enigmatic voice, this time from a completely violet column. Most likely Void.

"**Of course he does, Kassadin." **The middle one replied.

"**You see, when Kassadin here was walking around the Void, he stumbled onto your world and found it fascinating." **The man showed by conjuring something similar to a hologram, showing Kassadin walking around the strange Void and stumbling onto a portal, which showed a glimpse of our world.

"**Then we figured it would be beneficial to both parties if we made contact. After all, we have magic and you have technology. Our hextech cannot measure up to your advanced engineers." **The Piltover lady continued.

"**However, we were worried that your people might make an aggressive decision against us." **The Demacian explained.

"**Which is why you were brought here, whelp. To see how you measure up to our expectations." **Noxians…

"**We are not making threats here, mister. We just want to see how a person from your world will act around ours. I understand that you have no problems with this, mister de Rivera?" **The Ionian asked. The other columns were mostly silent, with only the aforementioned participating actively. Wait, if Kassadin is on the Void column, then…

"**No, I am the only champion on this column. I do not trust Malzahar enough to represent Void, and Vel'koz even more so." **He explained.

"**Moving on from that, you, mister, are to become a Summoner in the League. We would have put you in as a champion but…it seems that you don't have anything special or extraordinary feats." **The Demacian continued.

"**You will stay in the Academy for a week to learn magic. Let me ask you a question, mister. Do you know the summoner spells?" **The Ionian asked.

"Let's see…Flash, Revive, Clarity, Exhaust, Smite, Ghost, Heal, Teleport, Garrison, Ignite and Clairvoyance. There's also the extinct Rally and Fortify. Both Promote and Surge are put in items; Banner of Command and Guinsoo's Rageblade respectively. Am I correct?" Grey replied.

"**Hmm…It seems that you know the basics in the summoner spells. I will assume that you know of the Summoner's Code, the basics of the Institute, and all this?" **She asked. He's not sure if the woman dodged the question or not, but she never questioned how Grey knew all this despite being here for the first time. The Noxian seemed to ask but the Ionian stopped her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"**Very good. A week it is, then." **One by one, each column lost it's light as the people atop them started leaving one by one, until it is only Grey, Lux, and the person on the middle column.

"**Lux."**

"Yes?" She asked jovially.

"**Escort this man to the Summoner's Academy, and tell them it's the special case."**

"Yes sir!" With that, she gestured for her to follow me outside the door as the light of the central column faded.

**Thoughts? Suggestions? Recommendations? Feel free to drop a review.**


	2. Prologue 2

**Prologue 2: Thrust into the League**

**AN: A heads-up guys, this fic is actually a collaboration between me and a friend and co-author of mine named Wandering Letters. So…yeah, credits to him. I already had my intro, so here's his.**

**Disclaimer: The League of Legends aren't ours.**

"_What do you _mean_ it won't be possible?!" A college graduate nearly screamed._

"_It's exactly what it sounds like. You just don't have the funds to continue the treatment of your sister's case." The doctor answered him as calmly as he could. He was virtually bleeding sympathy for the young man, but there was nothing he can do. Hospital protocol dictated that he paid first. The boy already had one too many extensions now, and all their bank accounts have no more cash._

"_DAMMIT!" He cried out in frustration as he banged his fists on the painted cement wall. Face wet with tears, he wept silently by himself. Several seconds later, he turned back to the doctor and wiped his face._

"_I'm sorry doctor…when is the deadline before you…pull the plug?"_

"_We'll give you a whole month to get the fee of…" The doctor's voice trailed off before continuing._

"_$100,000." He sighed upon seeing the lad's desperate face._

"_I'm sorry Ven, did all I could do to lower the costs. Even removed my own doctor's fee. I've been a dear friend of your family for years now, and I know how much this hurts for you. Don't worry, I'm looking for more ways to—"_

"_I understand, Doc Anderson. It's just…I just don't want to see my sister in pain, that's all." The youth named Ven replied in a hushed, whisper-like tone._

"_I know, son. Cheer up, okay?"_

"_Sure thing. Thanks, Doc."_

_As the Doctor Anderson left them for his rounds, he silently entered the room just in front of him. The patient tag had a name neatly written on it._

_Renee Maxwell,25._

"_Ven? What did he say?" An auburn girl, just a few years older than he, gently asked through the respirator. He turned for a while to compose himself before putting on a forced smile._

"_I…Th-They…I mean…" He tried to stutter, but tears started overflowing his eyes as he broke down in pain. The sister sighed and smiled lovingly at her elder brother._

"_Come here, you big baby and let your cute biggie sister cuddle you~." She extended her arms and pulled her smile even wider, removing the respirator and showing off her white teeth. Drawn by the love of his precious sister, Ven reached out to her immediately. However, a bright light consumed the scene the moment they connected, returning him to reality._

"Ha…ha…ha…" Ven panted in front of his computer as he was jolted back to life. His head buzzed with the chatter of his friends as he took a little time to sit back and reorganize his head. Staring to him was the Log-In menu of the game League of Legends, just one of the many games that he spent bonding with his sister Renee.

"_Renee…" _Holding a picture frame of them together in a teen park, smiles wide with joy and hands oblivious to the melting ice cream, he smiled.

It's been three years since her death, and ever since then he was plagued with the loneliness. A double-major graduate in Culinary Arts and Creative Writing, he ensured that no shortage of work nor food threatened him. No counter-measure can be done about his longing for family though. With his sister dead, mother enstranged and dad disappeared, he had no family to cling back on. His relatives were all far too distant either physically or emotionally to deal with him, and he can only meet his friends once a week due to his friends' busy lives, two if he's lucky. If he wasn't in his work at the big restaurant downtown, he was busy writing stories for the games he play, one of which is the League of Legends, a famous MOBA.

With a cool, wet towel covering his face, he slowly drifted to sleep. However, a noise from the door prevented that.

_**DING DONG!**_

"Who is it?" He shouted at the door.

_**DING DONG!**_

"Ugh…" he groaned,

He stood up and went to the door. Looking through the peephole revealed a strange sight. A blue, horizontal V-shaped helmetcovered a blue-lipped pale head. Ice covered feet supported a long, blue robe with white linings, sleeves reaching until the wrists. Pauldrons protected the feminine body's shoulders, though it looks fit for aesthetics rather than practical use. Finally, braided white hair lined the mysterious woman's back, reaching down until the ice.

"_A cosplay? At this time of year? And in this town? Weird. Excellent cosplay though, almost the real thing…wait, when did it get so chilly?"_

The knocking continued.

"Yes, may I help you Miss…?" Eyes landing on her, the blue lips curled into a smile as she introduced herself.

"I am Lissandra, the Ice Witch. I'm sure that we will be very acquai—" Before she was able to finish her sentence, Ven shut the door to give some space between him and the eerily accurate cosplayer of Lissandra.

"_I've heard of good cosplayers, but this is just insane!" _He thought to himself as he fell on the couch, staring at the door. With the third knocking, she stopped.

"_Good, she's—" _Not even half done, dark ice surrounded the door and shattered into pieces as Lissandra blasted her way in.

"I thought you needed the evidence," she explained, dark ice forming and reforming to make way for her approach.

"_What the_-?!" he screamed,

A blue light shone from the Ice Witch's palms as he rapidly lost consciousness.

"All will be revealed in time, Ven Maxwell. All in good time." Lissandrasaid with a rather pleasant smile.

…

"Ugh…" Ven groaned as he stirred to consciousness, waking up in a dark pit.

The cold floor was lined in a circular, repetitive pattern, and said patterns were lit up in flame blue.

"Alas, you're awake. Pity you can't wake up on a fluffy quilt, can you?" The British accent was unmistakable as Lissandra approached him from behind.

"Where…am …I?" He almost whispered as he took in the view.

"Beautiful, isn't it? However, unlike the first boy, you don't need to go through the Council." she explained as the door opened and 4 figures entered the room. One had a long beard, white hair, green glowing eyes and a large clock on his back.

"So this is the new youngster. Hello there!"

Another one was a bit small, with purple hair, an oversized hat, and a…fairy fluttering around her.

"Wow, humans are really tall!"

The third one had white angelic wings, golden heavenly armor, beautiful blonde hair and striking blue eyes.

"Hmm, another one has been summoned…"

The last figure to be speak had long violet hair, black fallen angel wings, an elegant dress that has seemingly seen better days (lots of them), and a malefic aura surrounded her.

"He doesn't seem _that _impressive."

"Zilean, Lulu, Kayle and Morgana?! H-How did—"

"Well, he knows our names. Makes this hassle of an initiation easier to bear." Morgana sighed.

"No need to be so hostile, Morgana. He is just like the new case brought here some hours ago." Lissandra coaxed.

"Yeah, I saw that too! He seems to be a nice person. If he got along with Lux, I bet I'll get along with him too!" Lulu squealed, giggling to herself.

She turned to Ven and gave him a pleasant smile.

"I hope you're nice as well," she giggled.

"I guess I am?" he replied unsurely.

Ven unconsciously withdrew, placing himself behind Lissandra who simply laughed softly at his sudden shyness.

"Cowering already? How pathetic," spat Morgana.

"Silence, Morgana! I will not tolerate your insolence. Do not mind this…_pitiful _sister of mine; you have no reason to fear us," said Kayle.

The angel offered a friendly hand as he slowly approached her before shaking it with a nervous smile.

"This, _this _is exactly the reason Relivash sent Lux for the first one. Your dark sister just can't be civilized to others…" mused Zilean, shaking his head in disappointment.

He turned to Ven and handed him a scroll.

"What is this?" he asked.

He still did not move away from the Ice Witch and glanced at her for a brief moment.

"Just keep it and for the time being, Lissandra will tell you what to do," he instructed.

The Chronokeeper then nodded to his fellows as they turned to leave.

"For now, we bid our leave," he said.

"Nice meeting you Ven!" said Lulu with a smile.

"Hope to see you at the Institute sometime," said Kayle.

"Hmph…pitiful human," snapped Morgana.

With that, Zilean, followed by the rest, left. Only Lissandra was left in him in the empty pit. She turned to him and much to his surprise, she waved a hand and the ice disappeared into the air, showing her true self. She was a rather slim woman and even though she was supposed to be centuries old, she looked like a mid-twenties woman in her prime albeit slimmer. Much to Ven's surprise, Lissandra had blue eyes.

"Shall we?" she asked.  
"…I've never seen you like this before," he mused.

She smiled at him.

"I've always been like this…you never asked me to show myself," she said as a matter of factly.

Ven nervously scratched his head and some heat built up in his cheeks.

"_I just can't get over that damn accent of hers…and now after she removes her helmet and shows her face, it's like icing on the cake that she's a beautiful woman…WAIT WHAT?! SHE'S CENTURIES OLD. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU MAXWELL!"_

Ven shook his brain free of his thoughts as Lissandra laughed softly.

"You're quite cute when you're flustered," she teased.

She winked at him as she beckoned him.

"Time to take you to where you'll be staying," she said.

A nod was his reply as he followed her through the door.


	3. Act 1: Engage the Utopia

**Chapter 2: Engage the Utopia**

**Disclaimers: League of Legends isn't mine.**

The mighty doors heaved as they shut themselves close, a loud thunder-like clap locking the entrances in place. Runes made of the very same blue flame from inside suddenly appeared on the metal, carving itself on the material. Turning back, Grey saw the runes rearrange themselves into an English sentence.

_**The true enemy lies within.**_

"_I'm still having a hard time believing all this. I mean, sure the multiverse theory seems to be true now, and I always thought that the League of Legends was only a game, but…infinite possibilities of infinite universes?"_

Lux, noticing that her escort stopped abruptly, turned and walked towards him.

"Hey." She said, tapping his shoulder. Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he failed to notice her. She then tried another method.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat. The trick seemed to work as he snapped back to reality, though he still thinks this is unreal somewhat.

"Are you okay?" Concerned, she put her hand on his left shoulder.

"Yep, I'm fine. I'm just too…shocked, to see this universe as a reality, and even being sucked in it." He murmured.

"Well, what do you think?"

"Think about what?"

"This world, our world." She said, spreading her hands in the air as if showcasing everything in sight. Her head cocked up as she looked at the sky, the cotton field of clouds decorating the blue sunny day. Sunlight peeked through the white pillows as they floated away lazily. Unknown birds and the occasional small dragon-like creatures flew in the heavens as they went their way.

In contrast to the inside of the Judgement Pit, the outside was quite lively and scenic. The Institute of War, situated between Demacia and Noxus, housed the Judgement Pit, in which they came out of. It kept the peace within Runeterra ever since the last Rune War, and situating it right in the middle of the two most prominent factions in the land certainly helped.

"Wait a minute." Grey raised his hand as Lux took in the gentle breeze.

"Yes?"

"Isn't the Institute of War…underground?" He wondered. The door and it's surroundings disappeared when he tried looking back.

"What? That was there earlier!" He was shocked.

"What is there?" Lux wondered, tilting her head slightly.

"The door! It was there! The large steel double-doors. It even had runes carved on it." Grey replied, pointing at a large, innocent rock formation.

"It's been gone for quite some time now, Grey." She smiled gently.

"…"

"It's your first time experiencing a Bridge Door, huh?"

"What's a 'bridge door'?" He asked. No such thing was mentioned in the lore, so he was certainly curious.

"A bridge door is similar to the summoner spell called 'Teleport' in the sense that it's used to travel long distances. The difference is that it's normally installed in only two areas; the entrance and the exit."

"So it's a portal?" Grey asked, remembering how similar it is to waypoints from a certain RPG.

"Exactly, though Bridge Doors are rare outside the Institute. It's their way of sending off people without letting them know the whole structure." Lux explained as they continued walking to the west.

"But I can just remember where I left off, can't I? Security isn't as tight as I thought it would be."

"It doesn't work that way. Every now and then they change the side of the Door outside the Institute so that it won't get infiltrated. The landscape and lay of the land also changes from time to time. The door today won't be the same tomorrow, and even if you do somehow get lucky and find where it is, it will lead you to a random part of the Institute, where you'll get detected almost instantly. The Institute has heavy surveillance both inside and outside all day, every day." She replied. Grey just responded with a long, low 'ahhh…'. Without having a topic to talk about, an awkward silence fell on the two of them. Lux looked comfortable as she looked at the scenery with the occasional chariot passing them by. They were walking on a small dirt road in the country, so it was silent.

Grey wanted to try and converse with the champion, but he was having the unnecessary cold feet we are all familiar with.

"_Ugh, this is hard. What can I say to her?"_ He worried. On one hand, he wanted to talk to her. The way was quiet and they were somewhat isolated, so it was boring. On the other hand, he was nervous. He didn't know exactly _why_ he was nervous though. Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Oh…" He smacked his palm. Lux turned to face him as she approached an apple tree.

"Hey Lux, when we teleported here did you happen to notice my backpack?" Grey asked worriedly. It contains his gadgets, wallet and phone there so he's anxious someone else might take it in case they did leave it behind.

"Well, if I remember correctly the Institute confiscated it. It was the one you were dragging along, right?"

"Yeah."

"Before you woke up a few summoners came in and took your bag."

"Then why didn't you tell me?" He groaned, a hint of panic mixed in his voice.

"Don't worry, it's safe there! We can get it tomorrow, if not later, on our way to the Academy. But for now, we have to get back to Demacia. I need to speak with my brother about something. That, and also try to get acquainted to the land." She assured him, putting her hands on his shoulders again.

"Ugh…if you say so." He sighed.

"_I just hope they won't break my stuff to irreparable condition." _He mentally added, biting his lower lip.

An hour of small chat later and they were sitting atop a hill, resting beneath the shade of an old apple tree. Apparently they are headed for Demacia which is just a bit farther down the hill. In fact, it was visible from where they were sitting should they climb up the tree.

"Wanna see it? I'll support you." She offered sincerely.

"Um, no, no thanks. We're going there in the first place, so what's the point? I'll just see it all the same." He replied, standing up and patting off dust from his pants.

"Eh?! But-ah, if that's what you want. Of course the plan was exactly that, but still…" Lux said, leading the way. The relatively small dirt track finally joined the main road which was paved in stone, with lamps lining the avenue for night time visibility. Marble benches decorated the edges of the path, with beautiful flowers within expensive vases sitting beside them. Said road was very large in width, so large in fact that it can easily fit four to five modern military tanks resting side by side. It was also lined with a tall fence that gradually lowered in height and increased in open arches as they got closer. Beautiful arches of white led to the large parks surrounding the city, with gazebos and fountains abundant. Flowers in bloom, animals wondering about blissfully, and the spring is in full blast. Where once they tread on a road meant for peasants and farmers was now meant for kings and their armies.

"Wow…" Grey muttered out as his jaw hanged. Even from outside the walls, the city looked beautiful and pristine. Said metropolis almost glittered in the sun as the buildings reflected the light off their sturdy structure.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" She grinned at him. Perhaps out of her happiness for her guest or simply a subconscious accident, Lux cast a veil of light behind her, giving off a halo effect.

"Yeah…" He stared on. Since Lux was standing just a few feet in front of the city gates, she thought that Grey was admiring the city. The young man in question, however, isn't very far away.

"_Yeah…you're beautiful…wait a minute, get a grip Grey!" _He shook his head.

"Why are you blushing?" Lux asked innocently, complete with her left index finger on the tip of her lips.

"_Dammit, just freaking move on and enter the damned city, for Christ's sakes!" _He brushed aside his rapidly blushing face and rushed past the onlooking crowd (he _was _wearing a strange robe after all) and into the arched gate.

"Hey, wait!" Lux shouted, running towards the town central in pursuit.

Meanwhile, a group of hex-technicians looked on Grey's laptop, which took them half a day to turn on, and stared at it stupidly.

"What now?" One of them asked emptily. They had no idea what to do now with the thing, though they did understand the language. It's the same as the system of writing that they use; English.

"Should we return this back to it's owner? We've checked every appliance inside the bag, and none of us can get past this 'password' thing. Everything else seems to be harmless. Some food, a drink, a replica of Jax's temple outfit—" One of the technicians inspected. His outfit suggested being a superior to the two other technicians in the room.

"Temple outfit? You mean from _that _time?" One of the juniors asked incredulously. That was a serious event concerning Jax, and only very few people outside the League knew about it.

"Yeah, _that _time."

"But how did—"

At that moment, they were interrupted as the official from the Judgement arrived. Still wearing his sophisticated cloak, he revealed himself to be Heyward Relivash, the current leader of the League High Council.

"Sire, you must see this! The young man we brought in has—" One hex-technician rushed to him in urgency but he was waved off.

"Calm down, Baba. I know that already. This particular boy is quite strange…and interesting, isn't he?" He said, taking off his robe and hanging it on the rack.

"Yes sir."

"Now, what seems to be the problem here?" He continued, sitting in front of the laptop.

"There seems to be a…some sort of security measure that keeps us from seeing further. Do you have any idea what it is, sire?" The official asked him.

"It looks like a lock of some sort…though I've never encountered something like this. Better yet, why not send it back to the boy already? He's bound to be looking for all this." Relivash sighed, closing the laptop and putting back all the stuff back in the bag.

"But, sir! Surely, you'd want us to inspect this more and gain some results?" The senior of the three technicians begged, his own thirst for knowledge consuming him.

"I understand that but we will gain no more further analysis through brute-forcing these gadgets. Besides, we do not want to damage these technology, do we? Furthermore, we are not so churlish as to break something that we only _borrowed_ without permission." He finished, zipping the bag up. He closed and opened it in rapid succession, finding the mechanism amusing, especially the **bzzt** sound it gives off. So enamored was he that he did not notice the surreal stares his juniors were giving him.

"Um, sire. Am I to deliver the backpack now or should I return later?" The suited-up Baba asked like it's nobody's business.

An awkward silence filled the room.

"_Ahem._ Thank you Baba. Please deliver this to the young boy and plant an observer rune on him, of course without anyone else outside this room knowing. I'd like to see what happens from now on…" He smiled to himself, meeting the tips of his fingers together in a thinking man's pose.


	4. Act 1: Engage the Family

**Chapter 3: Engage the Family**

**Disclaimers: The League of Legends isn't ours.**

"…"

"…Hm?"

"Ah, nothin'…"

It's currently mid-afternoon and the duo was waiting for a certain Vanguard to come. One was clad in a mix of armor, transparent cloth and semi-skin-tight leather clothes while the other was wearing a somewhat odd black robe.

On one hand, the girl was patiently waiting for two things: her brother and her food. On the other hand, the boy was feeling awkward. Verily so.

"_God…why the hell do I feel so nervous? It's not like it's my first time sitting across a woman, nah, lady, with only the two of us in a table. Yeah...right, as if. I ain't even gotten my first date yet. And this situation is the textbook example of an awkwardly enacted plan of a guy…virgin guy. Dammit. Well yeah, it'd be great if I had a—wait why am I thinking of girlfriends now? What the. Anyways, if Lux—"_

"Hey!" Lux called out once again, snapping her fingers impatiently.

"Ah, sorry. Was I out there?"

"Yeah, I've been calling your for about five minutes already. Something wrong? Is it about your bag?"

"Um, no, not really." Grey replied. Where the hell is Garen when you need him? A steadily growing voice keep telling him to check the nearby bushes, but he pushed it down.

"Dammit, Bushren…" He murmured, but Lux was perceptive enough to hear it.

"Eh? Why Bushren?" She tilted her head. The boy in robes found it cute, but he shrugged it off. Really, her splash art did her no justice. There, she looked like she just inhaled Joker's laughing gas but here she's on par or even above most models.

"_If Lux is already this cute, imagine how sexy Ahri is…" _

Immediately, tons of images with Ahri naked or in a sensual atmosphere flooded his mind, with the number 34 bouncing around.

"Now you're blushing. Really, you're weird…" Lux giggled.

"_She's less like 21 and more like 16 to me…" _Grey observed. Well, it's better this way. Imagine if it was Mordekaiser who picked him up? Scary.

At that, their order finally appeared. He still can't believe he fell for it. First thing Lux asked was to show him the menu. Lots of good-looking food taunted him from their frames, and Lux was all the more eager to tease him further in. Like a witty saleswoman, she finally coaxed him to order some roasted beef with potatoes on the side, with her sticking to her salad and sandwich diet. Out of the goodness of her heart, and perhaps her obliviousness to Grey's man-ego, she paid for the expense instantly, leaving Grey no time to pull out _his _payment.

"Ah, they gave you a lot of pocket money, Mr. Grey! Oh, and why do you call my brother Bushren?"

"Ah, that's because—"

"Luxanna!" Saved by the bell was Grey as he heard a familiar voice echo from the door.

"Ah, brother! Come, sit." The girl coaxed. Garen's armor clanked as he sat on the chair, the furniture barely holding him up. The vanguard noticed the unfamiliar man a few years senior to his sister sitting awkwardly at the other end of the table.

"Would you mind telling me who this person is, sister?" Garen asked, curious. The man wore curiously strange robes.

"Ah, remember the thing Jarvan keeps telling us about. Yeah, he's one of them." Lux replied, drinking some water.

"I see. Wait, _them_? You mean there's more?"

"Only one. There were two of them. I took this person, Grey, here. The other guy was taken by Lissandra."

As the two siblings chatted, Grey couldn't help but be impressed. The champion known as Garen, one of the ten champions that he first mastered, he was far more awe-inspiring in real life as he was in the game. Hulking plate armor, a large broadsword and a blue scarf-cape hybrid; he looks like one of those Prince Charmings from children's fairy tales, albeit a size or two higher.

"Oh, before we continue sister, introduce me to this young man." He smiled in a friendly way.

"Ah, this is Mr. Grey, one of the Summoned." She introduced me cordially.

"Nice to meet you, Grey." Garen said, extending his hand. Immediately, Grey's mind raced, all the virtual novels he has played, the flags, the choices, the results, everything zoomed.

"Oh, yeah, nice to meet you too." The boy replied. He figured it would be a good idea to make some friends this early, and besides, he had nothing to lose, talking with one of the Paragons of Demacia.

"How do you find our city?" A reasonable question came from the Vanguard.

"Yeah, it's cool." At the moment, all Grey could do was to respond. Everything was a bit too much to take in one sitting. He needed some rest. A good night's sleep, perhaps.

Which is why Garen's next statement brought him relief.

"You two seem tired. Why don't we all go over to our place. It's not very far, and you can have your fill of rest and food. Should you want something else, it'll be granted; as long as it is within reason, of course. Lux, Mother wanted to speak with you as well about buying some land. Grey, my cute little sister will be responsible for you at the moment. Do make yourself comfortable."

"Leaving so soon, brother?" Lux asked. She knew her brother's job can be quite hectic, but as far as she knew, it is still Garen's break time.

"I still have errands to run, and I'd like to finish them all by the end of the day. You're a to-be summoner, right? See you in the League, Grey. Be careful you two." Garen finished, leaving the building.

"Huh…"

"You got shut up, huh? Don't worry, it happens to most people. Brother's simply that awesome." She beamed.

"You two are really close, huh?" Grey observed.

"What do you mean? Of course we're close, we're siblings."

"No, I mean you don't use the _proper decorum_ per se that's being implemented in this kind of society. Formalities and all that."

"Ah, you mean salutes and such? There's no need to do all that if the officer accepts the recognition. Some require the full stretch, while others like Brother and J4 don't really bother to do so. Besides, we're both of the same rank, and like I said, Garen doesn't particularly care for using his title to flaunt himself out in the public. Did I answer your question, Mister—"

"Drop it, please. No need to go 'mister' on me, ehehe…" He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Okay, sure. Got any other questions before we start ea—" Before she was even able to finish, Lux's stomach growled.

"None, absolutely none." Grey smirked, earning himself a small pout from the blonde mage.

A meal after that, and they are well on their way to the Crownguard Estate. Various houses and shops lined the stone road, and friendly faces greeted them as they passed.

"You're really famous, huh? Well, it's expected from a champion." Grey remarked. Nearly every person greeted them, and the few that didn't gave a nod of acknowledgement.

"Ehehe…oh, and only very few people, all of them in the League's staff, knows that you're not a _native of Valoran_, so to speak, so please be discreet about it, and by that I mean tell it to _absolutely nobody_, no matter who they claim they are. If they _really _are clear to finding it out, they would've know about it by now." Lux laughed blankly, the latter part of her response delivered via telepathy.

"W-What?! Who said—oh." He chuckled sheepishly as the startled passers-by moved on.

A curious shop sign hanged from a horizontal pole-like thing over a door. It had the emblem of a mug of beer with a bright sun-like motif, complete with rays forming behind it.

"Um…"

"Ah, that's the Golden Glow, one of the many inns around Demacia. You'll see some more, but in my opinion that place has some of the best drinks this side of town."

"_Town? Bullshit. This is a freakin' metropolis already!"_

Walking through the streets, they passed through a multitude of shops. Lux became a tour guide of sorts, discussing facts in great detail. She took pride in Demacia as a whole, and pointed out houses of prominent people, notable shops, and such.

"_Well, of course it's natural. Demacia is considered to be an ideal city by normal standards. It must've taken a whole lot of trouble to turn this city into an utopia…or at least close to it."_

An hour or so after walking, they finally reached a terminal of sorts. There were various horses and chariots available for rent, with hextechvehicles such as motorcycles and cars available. Right beside them is something that looks like an inn or a tavern, but not quite.

"Hey Lux. What buildings are those?" Grey asked. The similarities to the related buildings are unmistakable. However, what was odd was that the number of armed people are double, if not triple, in number here compared to the taverns earlier.

"Oh that? That's a guild building. One thing in common that all guilds have is that each guild houses it's their members and are responsible for their actions. Then you've got the kinds of guild that are there. Some are merchants, while some are for combat, usually for hire. A few even got assassins, but you'll never know where and who they are…unless you have connections, a part of them, or they are just plain sloppy. Those are the three most generalized guilds out there. If you're looking for something specific, you'd have to go out there and find them for yourself. Or ask me, maybe I know something about it."

"I see. Wait, so is it possible that there are also 'dark' guilds out there that…you know, do _bad _stuff, and by bad, I meant not just any bad, but _Bad_."

"Yes, of course, though they're rarer than Voidlings around Demacia. You'll find them around Bilgewater and Zaun mostly, with a few and far between foreign raiders. They're not that much of a threat though, so the city states mostly don't care as long as they leave the states' territory alone." She replied, approaching a man overseeing the carriages.

"Oh hi Lux. No time no see! Are you here to rent something? Since you have a guest, I suggest getting this motorcycle. I do believe you're in a hurry?"

"Not really, but we'd prefer to get home quickly."

The man eyed Grey for a bit before handing over a small jeweled box to Lux.

"Here's the ignition. Hey boy, come here." The man gestured. A closer look revealed his age. Whiting hair, laugh lines and wrinkles, his face showed the experience he has gathered throughout the years. His body was still rippling with muscle, a form very rare among the elderly back in the modern world. His clothes were dirty with oil and another substance, most likely magical stuff.

Overall he looked like the arcane-medieval version of a mechanic.

The mechanic stared him down, making Grey nervous until said person laughed a jolly and put his large calloused hand on his shoulder.

"Put away your worried face! I am not enemy. Brann is friend, will help you get to Crownguard Estate. Do take care of Lux, new friend?"

Grey noticed that the accent sounded very familiar, but he can't quite point out where he last heard the voice.

"Sounds like Braum, does he?" Lux pointed out, finding her escort's unending amazement amusing.

"Yeah! That's the voice. Of course, Mr. Brann. Are you related to Braum?"

"Yes, is very good brother. I elder, Braum younger. However I'm no legend, but everyone is champion in own small way." Brann's smile grew even wider, with the iconic moustache bending to his mouth. He _always _preferred Braum's over Draven's. In his eyes, the "Glorious" Executioner is an _asshole_. At least Darius has something to legitimately boast about, and has a vision. Draven is just an attention whore.

"Thanks Brann! Come on, let's go Grey." Lux smiled, waving at the Freljordan.

"Sure. The weather is great for travelling too. So um, see you next time 'round Brann." Grey greeted, but instead of a nod, he received a handshake from the large mechanic.

"Haha! Today is a good day, no? Take care." Brann waved them off as he returned to his duties.

"Ready? Go!"

**A few minutes later…**

The two were cruising leisurely through the dirt road as they exited the city of Demacia. Lux seemed pretty comfortable driving the motor, so Grey took the chance to check it's engines.

"Hey Lux. How does this thing work?" Sure, it was identical to the modern one, but this one did not have the smell of gasoline nor the stench of smoke.

"I can't grasp the specifics myself, but from what I know, it runs on magic being fed to it by a lacrima inside the engine. Then those pipe-like thingies just kind of distribute the magic to this thing. Ehehe, I know it's pretty vague, sorry 'bout that." She laughed sheepishly.

"Ah, it's fine. How long 'til we get there? Your house I mean?"

"Dunno. I usually take the carriage or walk it out if I feel like it, but I'd imagine Mom wouldn't like me to be late, so yeah." She shrugged.

"So then…" With that, the two continued towards their destination.

**Near Crownguard Estate…**

It's been an hour and a half and yet they haven't reached the estate. Grey thought that the motorcycle would be as fast as modern ones. Truth is, they're more or less just half the speed at most. Still, it's environment-friendly so maybe it's okay.

"My butt hurts…" He murmured.

"Yeah, mine too. Don't worry, we're here!"

"Eh—what?!" The estate was huge! They were at the top of a hill about a mile or so from it. It had a central mansion, with gardens surrounding it, and a large fountain in front. Servants, merchants and soldiers alike ran to and fro the courtyard, and pets such as dogs and cats followed suit. Large gates enclosed the area, with the front gate lined with carriages and a hextech car.

"The hell?! Thing's huge enough to fit in a small town!" Grey exclaimed.

"Yeah, can't really help it, with all our responsibilities we need room -and comfort- to do well. I know it looks luxurious and all, but all that has a function."

Finally reaching the front gate, Grey stood up immediately and massaged his butt, while Lux stretched her feet.

"Ow…"

"You ready?"

"Ah, sure."

Approaching the gates, they were met by guards, their armor bearing the Crownguard emblem.

"Welcome back, mistress. Welcome, mister…"

"Grey."

"Grey. Welcome and make yourselves at home." A guard greeted them as they passed.

"Talk about VIP." The earthling commented. While people were very busy, all made way to the duo as they passed. A few merchants tried to sell their wares to Grey, but a gentle shake of head from the blonde mage deterred them all away.

"What a big door." Once again Grey was caught speechless. The doors rumbled open at the voice of Lux, and servants –maids to the left and butlers to the right- lined their path as they greeted the two.

"Welcome back, mistress, honored guest." All bowed down in perfect sync, the magical lamps lighting themselves up with Lux's every step.

At the end of the red carpet stood four people. All of them had blonde hair save one brunette with curls. One had the look of a magistrate. A man in his middle years was in the middle, wearing an expensive-looking suit, and a large fur coat. He had a staff, with the same lightball effect as Lux's, but on only one end just below the blade. Beside him is a woman slightly younger than him with the similar get-up, which Grey guessed was Lux's mother.

"_So _that's _where Lux got her looks from…"_

Between them was a man, guessing around Grey's age, with clothes a bit more flamboyant and colorful. However, he was _slightly _shorter than him. The brunette was in the height between Grey and Lux, and appeared a year or two older than the rest of the youth, and a simple patterned suit. However, what befuddled him was the fact that the girl had a sour expression on her face.

"Luxanna!"

"Father!" Lux ran towards the man in center, who welcomed her with open arms. All other members of the family joined in a big family hug as the servants dispersed to resume their duties, which left the sole foreigner in the hall staring awkwardly at the scene.

Suddenly, Lux remembered that she had a guest, and tried to wriggle free from the tangle of limbs…in which she failed.

"What's wrong, honey?" Her mother asked. Finally releasing a hand, Lux pointed towards the man in black, who didn't know how to react.

"H-Hello! I'm Grey, one of the su—" A chance glare from Lux reminded him of what she told him earlier.

"…_only very few people, all of them in the League's staff, knows that you're not a native of Valoran, so to speak, so please be discreet about it, and by that I mean tell it to absolutely nobody, no matter who they claim they are. If they really are clear to finding it out, they would've know about it by now…"_

"Su?"

"S-S-Suspiscious people! Ahahaha…"

The Crownguard family looked to each other and waited for their youngest to provide answers.

"Lux? Who is this person?" Her mother asked.

"Ah, he's a new would-be summoner from a far-away land."

"_Nice recovery!" _Grey pumped his fist mentally.

"Is he from Ionia? His clothing looks different though." The smallest one pointed out.

"I know right? So unfashionable! And look at the color combination, ugh!"

"_This comment sounds really familiar…"_

"Well, I am Philip Crownguard. A pleasure to meet you, Grey." He said, offering a handshake. On closer inspection, the father was quite the stout man. His hair was also receding, and his facial hair is starting to thicken.

"_Probably didn't like to shave much."_

"Yeah, nice to meet you too."

"I am Vivian Crownguard, Lux's mother. Welcome to our humble abode, young man." She smiled.

"Humble _abode? You kiddin' me, right?"_

Apparently, the brunette has lost all her patience and faced her father.

"Daddy, I need 300 gold." She said, with an accent and a pose Grey was very familiar with.

"_Knew it." _He chuckled inwardly. Now that he noticed, the family was…

"Ahahaha!" Grey suddenly laughed out loud, which surprised the people present, particularly the brunette, who was named Hillary.

"Problem?"

"Oh, oh, sorry it isn't you, I just remembered a funny play from back home." Hillary looked pretty satisfied by the answer, thankfully. A bad foot forward is one thing that he _didn't _need, especially now that they've just met.

"Now then, I'm sure you two must be tired. Lux, go ahead and show Grey to the guest room, then after that you can do as you please. You're in a leave, right?" Vivian asked.

"Oh, and Grey? If you need something, don't be shy to ask the servants around here alright? Now, my husband and I have got to go on a business, but Lux and the rest will stay here—"

"I'm invited to a ball, Mom." Hillary interjected.

"Okay then, Carlton and Lux will stay here." After the three left, Lux tapped on Grey's shoulder.

"Right this way."

**A few hours later…**

Grey yawned as he awakened. The room was quite luxurious, with drapes and all other things you'd expect to find in a luxury hotel. Lamps shut off their lights as he went out and into the courtyard. Just before he went to sleep, Lux told him that they'll be leaving for the League soon once all her business is done, in which case they'll meet up in the courtyard to ride a carriage.

"There you are!" Came out Lux from a nearby crowd as she dragged Grey again; identical to the way she did in the Summoning.

The carriage was a pretty devoid of decals, but it's coloring was very well done. Gold, blue, and white; standard Demacian colors, did just right so that they will reflect the sun's light and give off a "shining glory" effect.

As they got on the carriage and went on their way, Grey couldn't help but wonder.

"_Just _who_ is the other guy?"_


	5. Act 1: Engage the Trial

**Chapter 4: Engage the Trial**

**Disclaimer: The League of Legends is not mine and belongs to Riot.**

_Wake up…_

The gentle swoon of music soothed his mind as Grey was roused from his sleep. It was a soft, clear voice, echoing mystically as if they were in a cave.

"_What the…hell?" _Opening his eyes, he realized that he was in a room. It was a plain creamy-ish white room, decorated with an ornate table with magical runes, tomes stacked on top. He was lying down on a simple bed with white sheets and a duvet, and the room was lighted by a small chandelier hanging down from the ceiling, shining a clear light over the room. A draft blew in from an open window as he rose.

"_What…how does that chandelier…what the hell is that glowing ball thing?"_

He rubbed his eyes when the same tune sharply changed, from a soothing one to that of a happy, lively tune.

The doorknob unlocked.

"Who-Who's there?!"

"Relax, it's just me." A familiar blonde head appeared as Lux entered carrying a stack of books, specifically seven, and in varying thickness. Each also had varying colors: marble white, red, blue, bronze, sea green, jungle green and dark blue respectively.

"_Seems familiar, but I can't point out where I last saw these…"_

Lux dropped the tomes at a nearby desk as she sighed and murmured inaudibly. Immediately, a black leather bag seemingly materialized at her back, straps hanging from her shoulders.

"That's-!"

"Yeah, it's your bag! Sorry if I took a bit long, I had stuff to get through." As she sat on the edge of the bed, Grey couldn't help but wonder.

"Hey Lux."

"Hm?" She cocked her head.

"Um, why do you do all this for me? What do you get out of this? I mean, I'm just a stranger, and—"

"Grey, look." Lux firmly said, startling the semi-panicked guy.

"It's not because of what I get, or who I'll impress. It's because I genuinely like helping out other people. Don't you like that awesome feeling when you see a person become happy because of you? And besides, you're from a _different dimension_! I'm really curious about you. Your culture, your way of living, everything!" She explained, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

It then occurred to him that just because Lux is a champion, it doesn't necessarily mean that she had to be a battle-hardened, ever-vigilant creature. She's still human, after all.

At that moment, something popped in his mind.

"Ah, wait a sec." Dipping his hand into the bag, Grey fished out his glasses.

"There! The world just turned 1080p, full HD." He smiled.

"Now, back to the topic. So, what you're saying is that you don't really mind doing all this for me because you like doing this stuff? I mean, learning new cultures and stuff?"

"Yeah! Well, if you're a native of Valoran I'll still help you whether you're a foreigner or not, but you being an alien kinda makes the experience a lot better."

"_Intrinsic motivation…what else can I know, can't think of anything at the moment."_

There was an awkward moment of silence before Grey was able to blurt out a response.

"Um, you're…how should I say this, thanks Lux." He said.

"No problem. By the way, you really should get to reading those books. Anytime now, someone will be sent to take you to the Proving Grounds. I'll be going now, it's my break after all. Take care!" With that, the blonde mage left to enjoy her week of leisure.

"_This music…must be Sona."_

Sure enough, Grey saw Sona walking through the hallway as he peeked from the peephole. She was softly plucking her etwal, humming happily as she passed.

"_Some things never change…" _He chuckled as he glancing at her large pair of…twintails.

"Best get to work..."

**Some time later…**

Grey was reading the first book –the white one- as a knock rapped on the door.

"_Finally! Man, I'm getting headaches already…"_

"Yes?" A man in blue appeared at his doorstep, wearing a robe similar to those of the minions in the Rift. The man pulled a letter from his robes as he bowed politely.

"Greetings, summoner. My name is Baba. Please follow me."

Walking through the corridor, Grey can't help but notice that the walls are made of cement…or something similar. From time to time a stray portrait emerges from the walls, and the wall itself is decorated to be simple yet decorative. Various rooms are labeled with plaques attached next to their doorframes, with lights attached on the other side. The frames themselves are also decorated depending on where their doors led. Offices and meeting halls were decorated in a luxurious yet strict note, while food halls were designed to tease the appetite, and so on.

These corridors eventually led to the main lobby, a hall so vast Grey bet that this hall can give those ancient Greek temples a run for their money. Majestic pillars supported the massive ceiling as they passed by.

After passing a few more wings, they finally stopped in front of a double-door, lined with blue runes. The man known as Baba took a deep breath before raising both his hands and facing his palms to the door, starting his chant.

"_At this point, I don't think even the world's worst jumpscare can surprise me now." _Grey sighed.

"…**APERTUM!**" Baba finished, as if commanding the door.

"_Apertum? That means 'open' in La—Super shocker." _The would-be summoner grunted sarcastically as the doors flew open, revealing a portal.

"Now then, your fellow rookies are waiting on the other side, along with your instructors and a few champions. Once again, welcome to your new life as a Summoner and the best of luck to you." Baba said, leaving Grey to himself.

Just as he was about to enter the portal, he heard footsteps. Not loud, thudding strides but more like hurried, yet dainty steps.

"Oh Maker I'm late!" A girl appeared from the left corridor, her clearly oversized robes fluttering behind her.

"_She's gonna misstep, trip and fall over, I guarantee it."_

Sure enough, her left foot caught on a fold and she almost tripped, her right foot planting itself on the floor on reflex. Grey sighed in relief.

Too early.

"AAAAAHHH!" The girl said, her foot bending awkwardly as she fell.

**THUD**

"You! Why didn't you help me?!" She demanded, rubbing her forehead as she sat up.

"You're kinda out of my range, and if I tried to help when you did you'll only get a foot on your face, so…yeah. Sorry 'bout that." The girl took Grey's hand and stood up.

"I know, it's just…ugh, forget it. Hey, look, the bridge door's closing! Hurry!" She tugged on his shirt.

"Well, it's time. Let's go!" With excitement, Grey leaped into the portal.

...

"...AAAA—OW!"

"…What are you doing?" The girl remarked.

"Ah, nothi—ooh, it's cold." Grey shivered a bit, rubbing his the sheer cold. Fortunately, the "robe" he was wearing also served as a coat, partially shielding him from the cold.

A tiny bit, that is.

"Geez, you're an idiot. We're going to Freljord and you didn't bring anything to warm yourself with?"

"Wow, nice going there, picking on somebody you don't even know huh?" He snorted.

"Calm down, I'm just kidding. Name's Jaina, by the way." The girl known as Jaina smiled, offering her hand.

"Nice. Name's Grey." He replied, wiping some snow off his glasses.

"Look, they're all over there already. Let's not keep them waiting, shall we?" She was wearing a red coat, with rune-like inscriptions written on the back of her cloak. Her staff led the way as they walked towards the motely group surrounding a large, blue crystal, emanating with silk-like strands floating around it.

"_A portal…? Those strings must be magic or something similar."_

The group was in a circle formation, with their instructor in the middle. The students wore a generally similar design, with only minor details changed, such as color, fold, and other minor details.

"Ah, you two are here. We can finally begin." Shouts and sighs of relief were heard as the instructor led them towards the crystalline edifice. There were six of them present in the group, including both of them and the instructor.

When they got to the base of the structure, there were exactly five figures waiting for them. There were two females; one with a predatory bird perched on her arm and the other with a magic staff. Two were men in armor, one with a longsword and the other with a spear. The last one had the figure of a gargoyle.

"_Hm…Quinn, Lux, Garen, Xin and Galio? Team Demacia?"_

"Wow! Those are the heroes of our state!"

"Yeah! Hi Sir Garen!"

"Marry me Lux!"

The third one irked Grey a bit, but he shrugged it off. They're personalities so it makes sense for them to have some…dedicated fans. The champion in question saw Grey, nudged her brother, and waved. Garen shot a smile his way, making the girl in front of the intended person blush and giggle.

Grey chuckled.

"Now, before we proceed, I'd like to give you these." The instructor raised his staff –which suspiciously looked just like a Rylai's Crystal Scepter- and out of thin air materialized five gauntlets, this time looking _almost exactly _like Ezreal's handpiece, albeit in color blue.

"Erm, isn't this Ezreal's?" Grey raised his hand.

"No, it isn't. This is the Summoner's Hand, a device that we use as summoners. Go on, take them, take what you want. Except for you, young man. Here's yours." The instructor took out a metallic-grey gauntlet and gave it to him. It was similar in design to Ezreal's, but it had pointed digits and was made of a mixture of rubber and leather, with a large, dull, empty orb in the middle of it, right in the center of the back of his hand. It was large, large enough to take most of the backhand part's surface.

The item vibrated gently in his hand as he held it. He knew that it wasn't vibrating physically, but something inside it somehow resonates with him, as if the item has its own will and wants him to wear it. Following his intuition, he put it on his right hand. It fit perfectly.

The others' orbs though immediately lit up with magic from the inside, with different patterns and colors for each. The instructor did not seem to notice Grey's problem and ushered the group to pick their partners.

Lux then motioned for him to come closer. Before the boy was even able to react, she pulled him in and struck the orb with her palm. Immediately, the orb lit with a glow similar to those at the ends of her staff.

"I'm letting you borrow some of my magic, we can't let people be suspicious about you." She whispered before grasping his hand.

"Aye! Partners!"

"_The real life version of Champion Select feels too limited. Maybe because this is just a trial of sorts?"_

"Alright people, listen up." The instructor gestured for the students to follow him, leading them to the fence-like wall.

"_Didn't know we were on a cliff."_

"See that? That's the battlefield you'll be fighting in."

The area was a fusion of Summoner's Rift and Howling Abyss, kind of like the Winter Summoner's Rift from past "season", but with ruins replacing the trees, and the jungle monsters replaced by golems a lot less like Nunu Bot and more like Mokujin.

"On the other side of this arena is the Noxus side, so do your best and prove your skill. The Arena Masters will be watching closely to analyze each and every little moment that passes and the results will determine how long you'll remain in Summoner Academy and in which part of it will you spend most of your time. Good luck." Wishing them well, the instructor left them with a quick recall.

"Arena Masters?" Grey turned to Lux for an explanation.

"Oh, them? They are responsible for maintaining the arena, as well as summoning illusions for the jungle monsters—"

"They're illusions?"

"The real ones are much more powerful, and raising plus maintaining them are just too much of a hassle, since there are quite a number of arenas around Valoran. But barring their strength, they're just the same as the real thing. Oh, and real monsters' gifts are different from the illusions'."

"So, what are the real monsters' gifts?" He asked, his curiosity piqued to the maximum.

"Pardon my intrusion but, Lady Lux, the battle is about to start." Galio flew over, bowing before the two.

"Thank you Galio. I'll be in your care, Grey!" Lux cheered. Galio nodded and offered his fist, earning a fistbump from the summoner, which confused yet reassured the gargoyle. Taking their places, the champions channeled their power and…

"**TELEPORT!**"


	6. Act 1: The Entrance Match I

**Chapter 5: First Impression I**

**Disclaimer: League of Legends does not belong to me. Only my fic and my OCs are mine.**

As soon as the champions were whisked away, Grey felt a particularly strong force push him from below. It felt like wind, but it blurred everything around him. Suddenly, two lights appeared near his feet and circled it.

"_Recall?"_

Before he knew it, he was flung away to the Nexus pad and onto his seat.

"_Kinda felt like a roller coaster."_

Looking around, he saw that his teammates were all sitting on identical chairs, all facing a large blue, flaming orb similar to the ones he saw in the Judgement Pit. The chairs felt strangely like leather, and were similar to CEO or executive chairs. Everyone was seated already, staring at him and waiting for him to take his.

"C'mon, we're starting!" Jaina pulled him down and returned to moving his palms around the orb. The moment his hands made contact with the ethereal sphere, he felt his mind being tugged away. It was slow at first, and is easily resisted, but the thing that Galio told him just before she went to the Grounds made itself manifest.

"_At first the pull will be weak, for you naturally have no magic, and is using borrowed ones, a Champion's at that. However, it will very quickly pick up in speed and before you know it, something will happen."_

"_Something?"_

"_It varies upon the summoner. Who knows what may come out of yours? Whatever you do however, don't chase the rabbit."_

The winged gargoyle said it in such a serious tone that it creeped Grey out a bit.

"_Don't chase the rabbit, huh."_

A moment later, and his mind was blasted with a barrage of random lights and sounds, becoming clearer and clearer until it reformed to his consciousness.

"_Well, I'm back in this room."_

As soon as he returned, he realized he was already sitting, with his hands firmly rested on the armrests, each with one of the orb-like fires but in smaller forms. The orbs now felt cool, like a glass of water.

"**Welcome to the Summoner's Rift!"**

The familiar female announcer voice rang out as his focus shifted to the central orb, revealing Lux in the base, waiting for instructions. He found it very strange that despite looking through a spherical orb, he can see just like if he was playing on a computer.

"_Hello? Grey, you hear me? Hello?" _He suddenly heard Lux's voice in his ears. It took him a few seconds to realize that he's not holding a cellphone and decided to sit down.

"_All these magical stuff catching me off-guard…"_

"_Focus! What items do we start with?" _Lux asked, a hint of urgency in her voice. Well, she did only have 30 seconds to buy items. It was a good thing that the large orb had a system similar to the computer HUD, making it easy for him to pick. A few more seconds of fiddling and he realized that the two smaller orbs on his hands function similar to keyboards and mice. Taking a deep breath, Grey noticed the orbs taking the form of his keyboard and mouse.

"_Lux. Is mid open?"_

"_It is."_

"_Go buy a Doran's Ring and two potions, just to be safe. I don't know who you're going to be laning with."_

Just like in a computer, the central orb revealed Lux moving to the base, buying said items, and going to the lane just behind the ranged minions.

"_So, what's the plan?" _Lux asked. The enemy laner revealed himself to be Swain, who was striding towards the minion clash with a somewhat strained expression. As he started swinging flame-like attacks, Grey was reminded of something.

"_Lux, stop." _He ordered, stopping the Lady of Luminosity from attacking the nearest enemy minion.

"_Huh?"_

"_Just hold, and wait for my signal. Apparently these guys have no idea what last-hitting is." _Grey smiled to himself. If so, and if he's guessing correctly, this lane will be an easy one. Lux had the range advantage, so as long as she can hit her spells properly, Swain won't be able to kill him. Except if he has a flash. Seeing a minion's life bar drain down, his middle finger moved itself, making a clicking motion.

Lux responded immediately, hitting it just in time to get the gold.

"_Wow, it feels as if I'm using a computer…awesome."_

"_What's a 'computer'?" _Lux's voice suddenly echoed in his head.

"_Oh yeah, I forgot Lux can somehow read my mind."_

"_Of course, since we're locked in to each other." _Her echoing voice was strangely sunny for combat, even if it's regulated and no one really dies. Grey guessed that she must be so used to it, she got desensitized.

"_Hmm…" _The orb shaped itself into the mouse he was familiar with as he slowly shifted his focus to the edge of the central orb. His suspicions were confirmed as the "screen" ever so slowly panned as well.

"_Though I suppose a system like this without something similar to an Edge Pan will be a hassle to use."_

"_Grey."_

The earthling replied a short _"hm?"_

"_Just relax and do it in the way you are most familiar with. Just imagine it, visualize it, and the orbs will materialize themselves to your liking." _Lux suggested, hitting another minion. _"Are you sure I should only hit the minions that are about to die? I'm being pushed back to the tower here."_

He replied with a nod, which was somehow sensed by Lux as she herself nodded as well. Taking a deep breath, Grey imagined himself back to his setup in his condominium. His back reclined on the big chair, his shoulders relaxed, and his arms broke free of his anxious tension. The rigid posture his back was in before slumped, and his legs stretched themselves free of its virtually locked stance. He visualized his large, reclining chair at home, the green glowing from inside his keyboard, his somewhat large mouse…

His eyes opened.

"_Lux." _His voice suddenly changed, from one of doubt to one of firmness, like a commanding officer. This jerked Lux into Commando mode as she herself took a stance different from her usual posture.

"_You shocked me a bit there. What's the plan?"_

He willed a HUD to come to life as the magic weaved itself, minute, ethereal threads coalescing into the command bar, HUD, and Lux's face in place of the character portrait. Above was the buff timers, complete with Dragon, Baron, and Elapsed Time. To the left side materialized their comrades' animate portraits, as well as their ultimate skill circles. To the right is, oddly, the familiar Windows Media Player play, next, and previous buttons, with the Repeat, Shuffle, Stop and Switch-to-Library buttons in the form of small, square buttons above and below the three primary buttons, as they were in vertical order. They were also woven in a fashion similar to the HUD, making it even better.

"_Wha—I can't even…" _Grey, to say the least, was elatedly surprised.

"_What's wrong?" _Lux asked, eyes still fixed on the minions.

"_T-The HUD from the League of Legends game in my laptop just materialized itself into my big blue balls-ah, I mean, central orb? Moni(tor)Sphere? Whatever it is, it just took the shape, as if it pulled the very picture out of my mind!"_

"_Of course. The Materia, those 'big blue balls' in your hand and in front of you, adapt to the most comfortable schematic the summoner knows. Wait, what do you mean 'League of Legends' __**game**__? What's all this? What's a mouse? A keyboard? Whatever, but you'll need to explain this all later, when we're done. It seems that bringing you here isn't a bad choice after all." _Lux smiled. While she didn't understand half of what her Summoner said, she felt the energy that was just released from him, a phenomenon that only happens rarely, and only when the individual is _truly _on focus, devoid of any distractions. Whatever it is that he did that caused the surge of power to flow from him, she loved it.

"_This tingling feeling all over me's so…ooh~." _Hot breath escaped Lux's lips.

"_You seem fired up." _Her smile widened.

"_Am I ever! Damn, I can even change the volume, give it a visualize…ahhh, whoo! C'mon Lux, let's show these people what we're made of! Go, snare that bird!" _He shouted, his smile like that of a child's.

"_I've never felt this excited for ages. Not even the sky's gonna stop me now!" _Revving his volume up to full power, Rev Theory's _Hell Yeah _roared through his ears, adrenaline pumping faster with each strike of the drums.

"_Let's go!" _She cried, firing off a sphere of light from her staff. Swain, distracted somehow, can only bring up his arm to shield himself from the abnormally brilliant spell of the Lady of Luminosity.

"_Great, now pop 'em!" _Immediately, she fired another sphere, this time exploding upon contact with the ground. When the light faded, only Swain and Beatrice was left on his side, both somehow exhausted.

Lux raised an eyebrow to the **Master Tactician**, who only sighed in exasperation and pointed to his head and tapped it.

"New guy giving you trouble?" She burst into a boxer's stance, with her staff at her right hand and another ball of glowing magic in her left, all while jumping small kicks.

"Heh. It happens. On the other hand, you seem to be having quite a great time. If our magic aren't being dampened, you could've seriously hurt me." He said, raising himself using his cane, Beatrice shaking itself off some dust.

"For real! Hell, I can probably do fine without my staff." The Demacian exclaimed happily, doing air jabs.

"Now now, calm yourself down girl. Don't get _too_ swayed." Swain smirked, igniting his own emerald flames on his free hand. "Ready, Luxanna Crownguard?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, old man!" The two shouted as they both released their magic. **Torment **and **Lucent Singularity **clashed at each other, causing a white-green explosion on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, Garen is clashing with Darius, the two generals blocking each other's strikes. Suddenly, they saw a bright flash coming from the middle lane. Seeing his foe distracted, Darius struck, a **Crippling Strike **slashing at Garen's plate mail. The Might of Demacia staggered a few feet backwards, driven back by the blow of the Noxian general.

"Scurry, weakling." Darius mocked, his left hand grasping for momentum as he charged, swiping his axe to **Decimate **Garen. The Demacian stopped the giant axe with his sword, using his spare hand for support.

"Charge!" Garen shouted, his sword glowing gold with magical power. The Hand of Noxus only smirked, sidestepping the blow and striding back.

"Extend the hand of Noxus, pull back a stump." He declared, pulling out his claymore from the ground. Darius only smiled, once again charging at the armored Vanguard. Garen pulled back just in time, and stabbed the sword to Darius, who was surprisingly fast given the weight of his armor. He tried to **Decimate **once again, but was met by a fierce **Judgement**, sparks flying as they collided. A fierce duel raged as another wave of minions joined the fray, along with the **Glorious Executioner**.

"Draven~." The other half of the Blood Brothers posed. "Ooh, am I sexy."

The marksman's blades started flying in Garen's direction as he continued to exchange blows with the initial Blood Brother. While one he dodged one of the flying axes, the other one hit his left pauldron, pushing him back and giving Darius some space. The Demacian Vanguard may be outnumbered, but his strength is not to be laughed at. Another **Decisive Strike **forced Darius to the ground as he started getting overwhelmed by Garen's blows.

"Accursed villains…" Garen grunted, fatigue starting to catch up to him. Another set of flying axes went his way, with him deflecting one and dodging the other. Hearing the familiar footsteps of a precious ally, The Might of Demacia stood up proudly.

"Show them the **strength** of _**Demacia!**_" He roared, kneeling down. The other Blood Brother, the one with spinning axes, raised his eyebrow in confusion.

"Huh? Whatcha' talkin' about?" His question with immediately answered as gold and blue blur leaped, the tip of the figure's spear reaching it's zenith. On instinct, Draven jumped back, barely dodging the abnormally large spearhead.

"It's you again, punk." Draven smirked. In front of him was the infamous Viscero, now known as Xin Zhao, the Seneschal of Demacia.

"A warrior's spirit is never broken." The former gladiator recited to himself as his **Audacious Charge **hit Draven square on the stomach. It would've knocked the Noxian out of commission if he wasn't able to block the spear in time.

"Ya prick!" Pushing back the gladiator, Draven spinned in an arc, his axes spinning faster than before. "Have a taste of my glorious art!"

Xin Zhao chuckled, easily knocking both blades out of the way. However, ten more immediately followed as he tried parrying all, but a few managed to nick him on the face, arm and leg.

"Tch.": Just as he was about to charge at the insufferable Blood Brother, the other sibling managed to **Apprehend **him, pulling him back.

"Don't turn your back, or expose your neck." Darius ominously warned, striking at the hardened warrior. Mere moments before he brought down the pain, he saw a thin red line aimed right at his chest.

"**Final Spark!**" Lux struck, her spell striking the Noxian general with full force, causing him to be enveloped in white light and shattering.

Realizing what just happened, Draven tried to run away. But…

"**JUSTICE!**" A golden white light descended on him in the form of a giant sword, "killing": him.

"_Great!" _Lux heard in her head as Grey cheered. She was surprised by the sheer combat control talent he has. Unlike most rookies, or "newbs", he seemed to always know where the enemy is about to go, making all her spells hit without a hitch. A few times he asked her to fire to a wall, which dumbfounded the blonde. Still, overall he was a great Summoner. She can clearly see his success as a Summoner in the near future.

The question is, which city-state will he side on?

"_Hey Lux, hey!" _His voice snapped Lux out of her musings as she shook her head, seeing her comrades' concerned faces.

"Are you alright, little sister?" Garen asked. It was a bit ironic, considering that it was Garen who had scratches and bruises. Xin Zhao, on other hand, was mostly unharmed, save for a nick here and there.

"Yep. Wait, hold on." She put up her hand.

"_What is it, Grey?"_

"_Yeah, it's high time to go for dragon now, don't you think?" _Grey suggested eagerly.

"_Now? It's a bit too early, don't you think? You sure?" _Lux wondered. The dragon is already rarely targeted on it's own, even by the more experienced summoners, and now Grey wants it? Just 9 minutes has elapsed! Most dragon encounters, at least with the Summoners she was familiar with, come in about the 30-45 minute mark. Can they really do it?

"_Earlier, you also told me it's impossible to take down Swain in one second. I proved you wrong, didn't I? Now go, rally your friends and take down that dragon. We'll need it." _Her Summoner reminded. Even now, she can tell that his mind is processing multiple scenarios in his mind. While it wasn't really clear, Lux could literally _feel _his thoughts scanning each event in split seconds.

"_Wow…you really don't fail to amaze me." _She giggled, gathering her allies round.

"_I aim to impress." _He chuckled.

"Listen up everyone! We're going for the dragon!" She announced, causing his brother to be alarmed. Xin Zhao, meanwhile, had a poker face on.

"Are you sure Grey knows what he's doing? Does he even know how dangerous engaging the dragon _this _early is?" the Vanguard worried, more concerned about her sister than her own. "Besides, there's also the problem of our lanes. Who'll be guarding the towers from being sieged? Even know, Galio and Quinn are being pushed back."

A few moments of silence and nodding, and Lux looked ready.

"Here's the plan. I'll ask Quinn to go bot-side to go down, using Valor as a bait to bring all the Noxians to the top lane. Quinn will then proceed to help us take down the dragon, while Galio holds the line from there." Lux explained, pointing far north, to the top lane tower.

"Sounds risky. We shouldn't underestimate the Noxians. They are our nemeses after all, and will definitely try to take the defenses there down." Xin Zhao reminded. Hearing this, Lux forgot a small, yet very important facet to the plan.

"Oh! I nearly forgot. Grey said to take down Jericho Swain first before engaging the dragon. He made it very clear to _never _engage the dragon while he's still in the Rift." Lux added.

"Grey?"

"My summoner. Are we good to go? We don't have much time." Garen noticed Lux's expression. It is very serious, and she herself is emitting a commanding aura.

"_She's growing up." _A small smile formed on his lips. "Alright, let's move out!"

"I'll mentally give both the heads-up. Brother, he asked you to go first. Xin, plant us some wards." Hearing her orders, the two fighters nodded, doing their jobs. A few seconds later, the trio were in front of the dragon, waiting for the Lady of Luminosity's signal. It was to come in the form of Valor soaring towards the mid-lane. Sure enough, they heard the predatory bird's call, it's majestic form soaring through the skies.

"Alright, let's get this started. Go first Brother." Lux said.

"What? We're supposed to go in together." Garen was a bit unsure, but still did it anyway.

"_What's the next step? Brother's already in." _Lux reported.

"_Yes, I can see that. Tell him to draw the dragon's attention to him, then you two, XZ and you I mean, hit it with all you've got from behind. Oh, and instead of spreading out your shields, focus all it's power on your brother. He'll need it." _Grey ordered. In truth, he knew that the Might of Demacia didn't really need it, it's just that the items that his Summoner gave to him is a B.F. Sword, a Chain Vest, and a pair of Mobility Boots.

_Seriously?_

"Right, guys. Let's do this!" With Garen in position, the three attacked.

**Meanwhile, A few days past in present-day Earth…**

It's been a few days since the sudden disappearance of Grey from the convention. Inside the GameHub sat three people in a circle. Various objects lay on the ground in front of them, including a particular Darius axe replica and a Katarina daikimakura (aka hug pillows).

"So…anyone know what to do? Grey's parents'll be calling any day now." The one who broke the silence had a white jacket, white shorts, and a red tank top. He also seemed to be the most senior in the group, sporting a good amount of well-trimmed facial hair.

"No idea, dude. Last thing we saw was him getting dragged away by this cutie and then bingo! They're both gone." The guy in blue shirt explained. He was barely above 18, with a soft expression on his face. He had a nice sheen of pudding colored hair, which he often claims is natural. Who knows.

"How about you?" The eldest of the circle pointed to the girl in red, the owner of the axe replica. She had long brown hair that reached just below her shoulders, which was tied to a ponytail at the right side of her head's back. She was wearing a checkered red polo shirt, complimented with a dark blue cargo pants. Her cute face was twisted into a frown as she thought back on that day. The weather was particularly nice, and besides the abnormally few amount of traffic in the area, nothing was out of place.

Well, that, and the fact that Grey got dragged around by a girl like _that_

"Got anything?" The man in the white jacket asked.

"None. Although I _did _find it weird why such a girl will just fish him out like that. Probably a relative?" She offered, though she knew that possibility's rarer than a blue moon.

"Are you even serious? She was smoking hot, obviously pure foreigner, and had very well made cosplay wear. If she's in _any _way the relative of _that _Grey, I might as well call myself the Queen of England." The blue-shirted person replied, hugging his Katarina daikimakura.

"It's definitely possible, if you ask me." The girl replied. "Grey _does _have good looks, believe it or not. He just has a bad taste in fashion. Still unlikely for him to have such a relative."

"True that." The one in white and red raised his can of soda. "If that person really is his relative, he'll probably be drinking at least every week, lamenting about why such a cutie has to be his cousin. Though from what you said back earlier he was completely shocked to be grabbed by the girl. Since it's like that, then obviously they haven't met yet before. If she is his girlfriend or any sort of romantic interest, even if it's only fubu status, he's gonna show it off one way or another."

"Heh, can he even woo such a girl—" The younger man replied, only to feel a sudden painful sensation on his right thigh.

"Dammit girl!"

"Respect him, you dolt. At least he's got guts." She smirked. While the boy in blue is certainly flamboyant in these kind of situations, he often gets clogged up when confronted with your average girl, while Grey seems to be unaffected even if the town crush talked to him.

"_Probably he's gay? That would be a waste…" _The brunette thought to herself, unaware of the funny stares she was getting from the two boys. Before the two could start the Tree Kissing chant, she unleashed a smack from her axe to the two's heads. Strong enough to hurt, but weak enough for them to remain uninjured.

"Ow…"

"In any case…" The eldest in the group coughed, rubbing the back of his head. "We should do our best to at least make contact with him. So far, all his e-mails and game accounts have been unresponsive, as well as his social media fronts."

"We've also tried-and failed- contacting him on phone." The younger piped up, head still throbbing from the pain.

"All his friends say they haven't seen him nor have heard from him these past few days either." The checkered girl finished. "And since he's obviously not staying with the relatives…"

"That leaves…" The three said in unison, their voice fading into a smile.

**Back in the Training Grounds, Runeterra…**

"That was surprisingly quick." Xin Zhao remarked. It's true, it's rare for the serpent to be taken down this early this fast. Lux's summoner sure knows what he's doing.

"I told ya so! Grey's got our backs, right?" She nudged her out-of-venue Summoner with her elbow, it's true target half a mile away. Speaking of Grey, the would-be Summoner didn't earlier, but just now noticed that Lux isn't wearing a Doran's ring, or those Sorcerer Boots they bought earlier. Lux also wasn't carrying Lich Bane, though the familiar purple glow of the item still appears, and her attacks do get amplified. Her items work; he just can't see where they are.

As the four Demacians regrouped, Lux heard to her.

"_Hm?"_

"_Um, you forgot your items in the base I think. You're not bringing any, as far as I can see." _They have just finished Lich Bane, and is on the way to making Rabaddon's.

"_Oh, it's all here. I'll explain later, for now let's move on to the next step. What's the plan?" _The blonde mage inquired. It seems that she's eager to continue along the plan, seeing their consecutive successes.

"_Check up on Galio, see if he's holding up fine, how many Noxians are left, all that."_

"So, what's next?" Xin asked.

"We check up on Galio." Using telepathy, Lux managed to contact the stone gargoyle. The battle has been harsh at the top tower, and the last wave has taken much toll on the tower's integrity—and Galio's. The weary guardian is currently purched atop the tower's left pauldron, momentarily folding his wings to "take a breather", so to say.

"Galio, how's the battle going on your side?" She asked. She can clearly hear the ragged breaths of the Sentinel's Sorrow. The construct took a moment to survey the surroundings of the top lane. Debris was scattered around the base of the tower, their magical runes flashing with fading magic. The base of the front tower is perilously thin, making the structure unstable. The ground itself is littered with daggers, broken or otherwise. A few throwing blades are stuck on his back and wings, most of them half broken as well. There are also burn marks and small emerald flames caught on some parts of the grass and the soil as their magic slowly fade away. There's also a "throwing axe", in the loosest use of the word, lying harmlessly on the floor. The last wave was repelled by Galio and Valor thankfully, but soon enough the Demacians will come once again. He was initially surprised by the young maiden's seemingly suicidal request, but he managed to pull it off well enough.

"Got it. Quinn's on her way there." With that, Lux stopped the spell and looked at the ranger. She nodded her head, giving the go signal as Quinn walked briskly towards the top woods.

"Sister, I shall go back first." Garen reported. It was a close call, seeing that none of the rookies knows Smite yet, and that they are of "low level", per se. As the elder Crownguard is whisked away by the blue portal, only Xin and Lux are left standing on the river. The Seneschal of Demacia waited eagerly.

"_So, what now?" _Lux asked. She noticed that Grey became abnormally silent while the four Demacian champions were slaying the dragon. Though he still gave directions, it came far and between.

"_Yep, I think we can do this now." _He sighed with a mix of exhaustion and resignation in his voice.

"_Do what?"_

"_Wrap this up. Ask everyone to recall back to base." _Grey ordered. Around midway during the attack on the flying serpent, it seems that Swain has finally respawned and has, almost immediately, got wind of Lux's scheme and has told everyone on Noxus's side to scatter throughout the map. Exactly where, Valor, and in extension Quinn, did not know. So the would-be Summoner saw it fit to finish the game while they're still a foot and a half ahead.

"_That means you too, young lady. Go back to base and add Rabaddon's Deathcap and Liandry's Torment to your inventory. Simply having Lich Bane alone won't be enough." _He continued.

"_Got it." _With Lux relaying the message, everyone soon got into the main base, right in front of the shop.

"Grey called for the main siege now." Lux reported with a straight face. While she's seen her own considerable number of matches, she still gets nervous from time to time. Besides, while the rush she felt earlier has subsided to a degree, some amount of it is still in her system.

"Alright. Just give us a minute to catch our breaths and get some equipment." The rest said in unison. Quinn sat on the floor with Valor, while the two men are in front of the shop, buying items. Galio, meanwhile, is pulling out the weapon fragments embedded on his body one by one.

Seeing this, Grey's lips curled to a smile.

**Meanwhile, in the Institute of Justice…**

The High Council is once again gathered in the Pit of Judgement, this time a gargantuan sapphire orb of magic is placed in the middle of said pit, hovering in mid-air as it showed the events happening in the rookie match…though one of the would-be Summoners fought far from rookie status. Each city-state representative took their respective positions.

"**This 'Earthling' seems to good to be true; he fights as if he's already experienced, like a veteran general on the battlefield…though a bit cruel." **The Demacian representative commented, recalling how he commanded Lux to only hit the enemy minions if she's sure to finish them in one hit; that is, just letting her minions do all the work then take "their gold" for herself.

"**Ha! If anything, I approve of his pragmatism. It's not as if those designed puppets have any use for the virtual gold system." **The Noxian replied. The concept of hitting a "dying" minion just before it gets "killed" to take it's gold with minimum effort is somewhat new to him, but regardless, it _did _cause Swain to get pushed to his own tower, not to mention "kill" him in just 2 seconds flat.

"**A harsh, yet strangely effective method. He also seems to know every enemy champion's movements, with a small margin of error of course. Still, for a rookie to so easily predict an enemy, let alone a Champion's movements are just…impressive, to say the least. I am delighted in this choice of bringing this so-called 'Earthling' to our lands." **The Ionian smiled. Her own pick of top Summoners are exactly on par with him (Grey) in terms of predicting where the enemy will go, what they'll do, generally reading the enemy's mind. But for him to do it so casually, so easily, so…naturally. Curious, curious indeed.

"**We can also see that his Materia is shaped to the form of advanced machinations, like those found in Heimerdinger or Jayce's labs; albeit far more advanced. We are also interested in this development." **The Piltover ambassadress called. The ramifications of his Materia's formation is almost ground-breaking. The idea of massive technological leaps, the exchange of blueprints for technologies, or even the prospect of technology surpassing magic is all so fascinating and revolutionary. But of course, the people of Piltover is still, and will always be, guided by ethics and moral conduct, else they might share the same fate as Zaun. The two representatives exchanged looks. The competition for the new brilliant mind has just begun.

"**Will the representative of Zaun have any comment?" **The central column called, to which the Zaunite declined, opting to remain silent as he did before, standing on his grey and green column. So did Kassadin, who just simply watched the Summoner's action in rapt curiosity.

"**I wonder if this man can do anything about the warring tribes?" **The Freljordan wondered on her snow-white and blue column. There also stood a golden column with intricate designs, yet it remained quiet and silent. This is the column of the once-great Shurima, who have since faded their glorious civilization. Still, their legacy continues in the likes of Nasus, Renekton and Azir, who have opted for the re-assignment of Shurima as a voice in the Council. While there are virtually no citizens under, over or around the sands of the fallen empire, the illustrious Champion still insists.

"**Now, let us settle down, fellow members of the Council. In due time, all our concerns will be answered. For now, we watch…" **The central column, headed by Heyward Relivash, resounded as the Council once again looked in at the floating sphere of light.

**AN: Thanks for the support! If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, send me a PM or drop by a review and I'll try my best to answer it (unless it's a possible spoiler in which case I'll just tease ^_^). See ya next chapter!**


	7. Act 1: The Entrance Match II

**Chapter 6: The Entrance Match II**

**Disclaimer: The League of Legends do not belong to me. Only my fic and my OCs are mine.**

Walking back from the shop, the newly equipped fighters huddled in a circle as they awaited Lux's plan. So far, they've made some good progress, and the tide of battle is almost overwhelmingly in their favor, thanks to the blonde mage's directions. A suicidal defense, a premature dragon hunt, and now the final push? Despite the tense atmosphere, the wind blew gently on their faces. The base was silent save for the minions' footsteps, and the afternoon sun is slowly setting on the horizon.

"Ah…the wind feels nice, doesn't it?" the Lady of Luminosity sighed, letting her hair blow by the wind. The others were eagerly waiting instruction from her as she took a minute to recollect her thoughts. What Grey said was supposedly a lot.

"_So, what's the next step?" Lux said. It took a good while before she got a response. A long one._

"_Alright, listen up. As much as possible I don't want any of us to screw up. We want this to be fast, effective and clean. If my understanding of Swain is correct here, a little slip will be enough to give us off, so be extra careful."_

_She nodded, taking out a notepad and pencil from God knows where._

"_Here's the deal. I want you to—"_

Her recall was cut short by Garen, who had his suit repaired. It now had little mounds where wedges from enemy strikes were and his sword is brand new. It seems that the rest of the crew are also done with their preparations. Galio had himself repaired and varnished, while Quinn got a fresh supply of bolts.

"All set?" Lux smiled at the crew, who cheered in response.

"Then let's get 'em!" She exclaimed, marching down the middle lane. Her fellow champions are slightly behind her with determined looks on their faces. Garen clutched his sword tightly as he steeled himself,. Xin Zhao gently stabbed at the soil, eager to win. Quinn is pulling her crossbow taut as Valor took to the skies while Galio glided above the group.

"_Let's rock!"_

* * *

Meanwhile, the Noxus team is getting restless as they continuously get beaten by the Blue team, which are Demacians in this match. Draven banged his fist miserably on a stone wall, frustrated at the unexpected turn of events. They'd expected another batch of those spoiled, stuck-up brats who knew nothing but to complain and demand. They weren't prepared for a teammate being vaporized in a second. They were prepared for neither sneak dragons nor grass ambushes. This is a bit too much for first-timers!

"Got beaten by those guys? Get yourself together, kid!" Draven muttered to his Summoner, who is in a panic. On the other hand, Swain silently sat on a stool not too far away from the shop, while Kat leaned on another section of the stone wall.

"Pretty interesting, huh?" The red-headed rogue smirked, flipping her knife like a coin.

"Yes…It's been a long time since we've had a good match, let alone from an entrance test. Honestly, my own Summoner here is already out of the game. He's already left." Swain replied, feeding Beatrice with a cookie.

"And? What about the academe entrance test thing?" Katarina continued.

"I won't be surprised if he skips the entire thing. Those are history, law, ethics, and all other things related to the League. Bleh, most of those are useless in a real fight anyways, and this kid's doing good so far." The semi-bald man finished. An idea came up to him as he called the rest around him.

"Gather 'round, my fellow Noxians."

"Got a plan?" Darius said, spitting a twig that he had in his mouth. The ground shook slightly as Sion stomped his way angrily behind the Noxian general. He can't stand losing to a flying rock bat just like that. A rock bat of all things, embarrassing him by surviving his full frontal assault?! Madness!

"Now, listen closely. Here's what we're going to do…"

* * *

"_It's convenient that my fellow teammates aren't being stubborn in this, don't you think?" _Lux heard her Summoner say as the Demacians marched onward. The formation was to have Garen and Galio in front, Quinn in the middle and Lux at the back, with Xin keeping up with them through the jungle paths.

"_Yeah, they're being weirdly submissive about it." _She replied. According to her teammates, their respective Summoners, upon seeing the initial success in mid-lane, started being overconfident. Though thankfully none of them really "fed" the enemy, they were basically throwing away minions and just standing below the tower, "fulfilling their role as stalwart guardians" and "halting the advance of the heathens as protectors". They also proclaimed that there was no need to press the assault for "good shall always prevail against evil" anyways.

Grey sighed, exasperated. It's exactly that kind of mindset how the good underdog defeats the evil tyrant.

After the Red team regained their composure and started pushing back, it was at this time that the mysterious Summoner controlling Lux started "roaming", or so he said, between lanes and in the enemy jungle. They'd even went as far to describe him as omniscient as he, or rather his partner Lux, seemed to be there waiting in an ambush every time somebody feels sneaky and decides for a quick "Red buff" as he calls it. Not only her, her allies are quick to respond whenever the blonde mage sends a color-coded flare to an area, each with a complete message behind it.

The red flare stands for danger. She often deploys this whenever she feels that a raid, or "gank", is about to happen. With a hundred-percent accuracy, half the raids are often prevented easily, while the other half are either met with a counter-ambush or the raid goes successfully due to their Summoner's "nobly and valiantly giving their lives for the glory of Demacia".

The yellow flare stood for the word "caution" and it is the flare she most often fires out, mostly due to the allied Summoners' "unwavering courage". More often than not Garen or somebody else will tell Lux what their Summoners told them about her Summoner. Said that he was a coward, that he employed "barbaric tactics unworthy of the Demacian standard", that he didn't have enough discipline to stay in his post. All these got a giggle as a reply from Lux. Sure, they were unorthodox, but they were effective. And it's not as if those minions are actual living creatures anyway. They're more similar to golems (the conjured type, not the elemental/nature spirit type) rather than people, and are most often used outside matches for mundane tasks like cleaning or washing the dishes.

The green flare meant that she was coming, and will often use this even when she's still in her lane whilst "farming", a peculiar use of the term for the Runeterrans. Lux'll even go as far as to tell her brother or whoever was in that lane to charge ahead of time and fling themselves in the midst of enemies. This was the time that her orders seemed suicidal and her Summoner has "grown mad". While the Demacian Summoners were skeptical, the Demacian Champions had faith in them and did it anyway, albeit a bit reluctantly. Only Xin Zhao, true to his mantra, was able to fight peerlessly even at the presence of an overwhelming force as his gladiatorial prowess took over in the rush of battle. Surprisingly, Lux's promises often came through as the enemy kept walking right towards her ground zero, sieged by an assault of flashing lights. It was a strange feeling, but a good one.

The blue flag flare meant that an area needed help. Weirdly, she never used it on herself, but rather always on some far-away lane. Often, she would send out a flag flare at the opposite lane that she was raiding, leaving only one Champion to help her in the assault. Her Summoner coined it as "split-pushing". It made sense, since they're giving the push on enemies in different lanes at the same time, and with the pressure it gave the foe, Lux had an easier time moving around to do what she had to.

The most unused flare perhaps is the blue circle one, which is fired to simply catch attention. Both she and her Summoner thought it's somewhat useless, but from time to time she'll light it on some bush and ask for a ward placement.

All this was easy enough for the Lady of Luminosity to do. After all, magical flares are in her domain of specialty, and it was useful for communication while not being too reliant on telepathy, thus giving much appreciated silence to at least her and her partner. It was a little difficult keeping up with all the information he's explaining while running around the area, but at least it gave her a distraction from all the overkill she's been doing.

Oddly enough, no single Noxian Champion is guarding the second turret as they advanced deeper into the enemy territory. No clue of their whereabouts are to be found either. No footprints, no bird calls, nothing.

"Hah! Those scoundrels have now scurried back to their hiding holes. To arms!" Garen led sway, charging towards the tower with great zeal as the rest followed suit. Lux was about to go into the fray as well, but her Summoner stopped her immediately.

"_No! Fall back. Fall back, now! All of you!" _Grey sounded almost panicked as his Champion ran back towards the river, flinging yellow flares into the air.

"What're you doing, Luxanna? We're winning! You should be pushing, like the rest of us." Quinn shouted to the blonde mage, receiving no reply. She shrugged as she turned back to the tower and kept firing.

Upon getting near the river bank, Lux sat down, exhausted.

"_What're we retreating from? There's nothing—"_

"_Go get some higher ground, and you'll see what I mean." _Grey explained. With strained effort, Lux managed to get on a tree branch and finally understood what her Summoner meant. Near the bushes, just about to spring out are the Noxians, who're in perfect position to trap her allies between them and their turret. Sion was right behind the Blue Team, about to charge down the lane in full rage. Katarina is silently hiding behind her turret's head, waiting for the perfect moment. The Blood Brothers Darius and Draven are both running towards the Demacians with toothy grins, and Swain walked down the steps as confident as ever.

She nearly forgot about her precarious position and was about to scream out the imminent ambush, but her Summoner stopped her once again.

"_Don't! It's too dangerous. You need to get out of there and go up top lane! While your allies are providing a distraction, you can manage to destroy the top tower and _recall _back just before reinforcements can arrive." _Grey urged, but Lux simply climbed down the tree and silently hid behind a bush.

"_Distraction?! My brother's in there, Grey! My _brother_. I've got to do something—"_

"_Listen! Do you think being there will do your team any good? You'll only get slaughtered beside them! You'd best go over to top right now."_

A few moments passed and Sion charged. With finality in her breath, she exhaled.

"A true Demacian does not cower in the face of adversity." Lux told to herself, eyes glowing faintly with power. A few steps afterwards, she heard Grey's voice again.

"_Wait."_

"_You can't stop me from going there, Grey." _She stated firmly.

"_No, that's not it, I…good luck out there. Make sure to take down Draven first and not get Katarina close to you, okay?"_

"_Yeah, sure. I'm not mad at you, you know, so you don't need to sound like a rejected puppy." _She smiled, and broke into a jog.

* * *

As the four Blue Team champions were busy pushing down the middle turret, they heard a distant roar, followed by the sound of fast, heavy feet hitting the ground like a stampede.

"Uh-oh." Quinn's grin quickly turned upside down at the sight of a grey juggernaut charging at them in full speed, wrapped in flames. Axes flew towards them from the left flank as a laughing Draven walked out, spinning an axe with each hand.

"Men, retreat! To the right jungle!" Garen rallied his allies as they ran to the enemy jungle, hoping to lose the enemy in the jungle. While the Vanguard General guarded their rear, Quinn quickly led the retreat, her feet carrying her as fast as they could to the bushes, while Valor flew back to help Garen delay Sion and Draven. Unknown to them, a red streak leaped from tree to tree, tailing Quinn as she separated from the others. Galio took to the opposite direction closest to the Red Team tower, while Xin Zhao went to the middle route, expecting to see the Gromp, only to be met by the blunt end of a giant axe.

"We meet again, Xin Zhao." Darius appeared behind a stiff Gromp, which fell down immediately, lifeless. With his right hand below his left, he gripped his axe tightly and swung down.

Garen followed Draven as he ran towards the left jungle.

_That man has quick feet. _He thought to himself. Whenever he'd turn a corner, he'd only see the fleeting shadow of his enemy. Flattened grass here and broken twigs are all there is left for him to follow as he was left alone in the woods. The snowfall also made footsteps, especially those in fur and light armor, silent and almost imperceptible.

The elder Crownguard tensed as he heard the soft rustling of grass. A twinge of nervousness crept inside him, but he steeled himself. For some, like Draven, this match is nothing but a game, a little skirmish for fun and practice. For him, it was another chance to prove himself and gain honor without bloodshed.

He pulled his scarf a little tighter as the air grew cold and crisp. The snowfall made the air so dense that he almost didn't see a pair of axes spinning rapidly towards him.

"Gh!" Garen grunted as he barely brought his sword up in time to block. Stepping out of the grass is Draven, whose fur armor is patched with snow. He shook off the snow off his head and spun his axes, dancing around as he did so.

"Stop horsing around and take this seriously, ruffian." The armored man declared, gripping his claymore roughly with his two hands. The Noxian executioner waved him off nonchalantly, laughing at his foe for taking it too seriously. What did he expect from a Demacian? At least he'll serve as a nice exhibition target. He stretched his legs cockily, taunting the armored man in front of him.

"Let's do this." Draven smirked, tossing his right axe. Garen parried the first axe, but he was hit by the other as Draven ran once again, going through the bushes. Garen gave chase as he brushed aside. Another wave of axes met him as they struck him down, the force of the axes surprisingly strong. A loud thud resounded as he fell on the snowy soil, with his sword overhead, still in his grasp.

"Well, well, well, what have we here? Fancy a blanket? Hahahahaha!" The Blood Brother taunted, imitating a certain Piltover sheriff's accent.

"Haa!" Garen swung his sword downwards as he lifted his upper body. Draven hopped back and picked up his axes, giving Garen enough time to stand up and ready himself.

"Prepare yourself!" He charged, parrying two axes. Draven drew his two spare axes and slashed downwards in an arc, straight from his back and into Garen's joints. The Noxian felt his arm twitch as the earlier swing shook him a little, but it was just enough to keep him distracted.

_This damned hypocrite—_

Garen shoved the axes off the gridlock and slashed at the narcissistic Noxian. The first slash missed, but the second bit through the fur and opened a weak spot in Draven's unusually thick fur armor. The executioner's blood boiled both in anger and elation as Garen continued to chase and strike at him.

"Well, damn it all. Back to the game!" Axes started flying again as Draven's ego amped him up. While able to catch up to the executioner's style, Garen is slowly being weakened by the cold. It's much more tolerable than the biting ice realm that is the Freljord, but he isn't really suited up for snow duty. He felt his armor getting heavier and clunkier while Draven didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"That's what ya get for not preparing for this and filling your head with that honor bull—"

"DO NOT QUESTION MY HONOR!" Anger surged through Garen as he struck Draven's gut with his sword pommel. Air is knocked out of Draven's lungs. He slashed upward and sideward, the fur armor barely holding. He felt his grip tighten as he raised his sword.

"Well, _shit._" Draven muttered, surrendering to his fate.

**JUSTICE!**

* * *

Lux offered Galio a hand as he shook off bits of snow from his body.

"I thank you, Luxanna Crownguard, for coming to my aid." Galio bowed.

"Ah, sure, no—" Suddenly, a white dagger erupted from the snow-tipped trees. While Lux did not see the blade zip through the air, it did not escape Galio's watchful gaze as he threw himself to the younger Crownguard, shielding her from the blade—and the storm of throwing knives that followed it.

"Run…Earn us…our, our victory." The weary gargoyle expression resembled a smile as light enveloped him and burst. Lux stood frozen for moments. Another hail of blades came from out of nowhere, but before they could reach her, she held out her hand and shielded herself, the knives splitting to two directions at contact. However, the last one pierced through the shield, striking the blonde mage at her left arm. She let out a small cry of pain.

"Aah!"

Out of the trees came Katarina, with a smug look on her face.

"Let's dance."

The red-haired rogue threw another dagger. Lux deflected the blade but was hit by Katarina's sideflip kick. One, two kicks hit her in the stomach, followed by a backflip kick. Katarina's smile widened as Lux was lifted off the ground and fell.

"Is that all you've got?"

Lux raised herself with difficulty, clutching her stomach in pain. She spit the blood in her mouth, wiped the rest from her mouth with the back of her hand, and grinned with spunk

"Is that all _you've _got?"

She returned the question right back at Katarina as she tossed a Light Bindingat point-blank range, but she dodged it with a back hop and a quick right foot. Both women danced in a deadly battle of skill as Lux kept Katarina at bay, while Katarina kept dodging Lux's attacks. An idea caught up to Lux.

"Hey Kat! Catch!" Lux shouted, tossing a snowball. The Noxian assassin made no attempt to dodge the cold projectile as it smacked right on her face. The snow fell down, her beautiful face, revealing her displeasure.

"What's that supposed to—" She was cut short as she suddenly can't move!

"_That woman! How could I let myself off guard?!" _She mentally cursed to herself as Lux hit her with the blunt end of her staff, knocking the wind out of her. And another hit. The Lady of Luminosity held nothing back as she swung her staff like a baton.

Lux stepped back and struck her with her light orbs.

"You _bastard!_" Katarina broke free as the magic wore off, punching her at the gut. Lux tried to dodge, but to no avail as the leather protecting her crumpled. It didn't hurt much, but it dazed the young mage long enough for Katarina to regain her bearings. This time, the rogue played her cards defensively. She sideflipped backwards and spun on her heel. The kick connected square on Lux's chin. The Noxian crouched and drew her blades, tumbling to her target's direction. She grinned wolfishly as the blonde Demacian steadied her vision. The moment Lux's world stopped spinning, Katarina sliced her knife upward and spun. Her folded right leg sprang on Lux's sternum. The combined attack broke Lux's armor straps.

"Aah!" This caught the Lady of Luminosity off-guard. While it didn't expose her impressive body completely, the leather suit and the cloth beneath hugged her figure snugly, and it made her feel naked. Uncomfortable.

The red assassin pressed the advantage, striking in a flurry of limb and steel. The catatonic mage barely managed to kick back at her assailant, with her own pell-mell version of the attack. She is in a state of total panic. With her eyes closed, limbs flailing, and muscles twitching, she had _no _idea where her fists (at least, that's what it felt like to her) hit.

Until a single fist hit her sternum.

The blow sent her staggering backwards and landing on her bottom, wheezing with pain.

At a distance, the hulking gray juggernaut rose from the "dead", his red eyes glowing with uncontrollable bloodlust and fury. His hands were balled into a fist of red destruction, and Sion himself seemed to glow ominously red. He caught sight of the two women locked in combat and barely recognized the scarlet one as an ally. With all the hatred and fury he can muster-

"**DIE**!"

He roared, a surge of rage and deathpushing his feet to greater speed. Lux's feet froze in terror.

"**BLOOD**!"

However, just as he was about to reach the terrified mage, a figure in heavy armor dashed from the bushes, slamming at the undead berserker.

"Run!" Garen shouted as he kept the Noxian madman at bay. Lux saw Katarina running away as she herself pulled back. Taking a breather, she sat down and leaned on a tree, exhaling her nervousness away.

* * *

"_Hey! Hey, speak up!" _Lux clamored. The Demacian team has been losing, and Grey hadn't made a response since earlier.

"_Hey!" _Finally, her Summoner is awoke from his stupor.

"_O-Oh. Hi. Nice work out there." _Grey stuttered. It's obvious that he is out of sorts, despite his best efforts to hide it.

"_What happened? You're growing more and more quiet. Is something wrong?" _His charge inquired. She sounded worried.

"_What's this? Worried about your Summoner? Oh, what a champion we have here!"_

"_Stop playing with me! Right now, I, we, we need your help. Your fellow Summoners did a good job with their champions, but the fight's tiding to their favor. C'mon, give me something?" _The urgency of the situation deflected Grey's joke.

"_Alright, alright, sorry. Just, just give me a minute, I-I'll come up with something in a jiffy. You delay their siege as much as you can WITHOUT getting yourself killed, and if possible, anyone else on the Blue side." _The panic spread to the rookie Summoner as he started thinking of ideas.

Both Galio and Xin Zhao are in the infirmary. Lux is at one-fourths. Garen is also taken down. Only Quinn is in good condition. On the other hand, the Noxians have two down, and the other three are in good condition. Swain is also confidently pushing down the mid-lane, his intimidating presence lowering the morale of his enemy Summoners. Both incapacitated Noxians are also about to respawn, while Galio and Xin Zhao are still a ways off.

"_That's one other thing I noticed; respawn times are more than double in length."_

It's true. There are more differences that he observed, such as the champions having no concept of "levels", though they had something similar as a system. While his Materia's HUD _did _show levels and experience points, he could tell that that wasn't what the champions are feeling. If anything, they seem oblivious to it. Probably a limiter of sorts?

"_There's one last crucial thing."_

He can't seem to communicate with his teammates. Even if the Materia provided a chat system, he still wasn't successful in communication. The Blue team Summoners are too busy to hear him out verbally also. This is the main reason why he asks Lux to relay orders for him. That, and he feels comfortable to talk with Lux for some reason.

"_I'd better wrap this up. I'm getting tired." _Yawning, he stretched in his seat for a bit and popped some finger joints. A deep exhale to get rid of nervousness, a deep breath, and he's set.

"_So, Lux. You full of energy now?" _His voice shook a bit. While the adrenaline that numbed him from the anxiety earlier has faded since then, his commanding tone is still there.

"_Y-Yeah, I guess…ouch, ouchey." _The young Crownguard stood up, her feet pushing against the ground with the tree as support. The task proved a bit difficult because of the slippery snow, but she managed nonetheless. Though she was wounded, she looked no less worthy for battle. Using her baton-staff as a clutch, she hobbled towards a nearby patch of grass.

As she walked towards the frosted green, a blue feather appeared. She raised her brow in confusion. In response, an entire wing appeared.

"_Ah, I get it!" _Hobbling as fast as she could, she let herself fall on the ground. Besides her lies Quinn, with Valor sitting like a chicken. The Demacian ranger was in prone position, with her crossbow ready to fire at any target that crossed her sights. Aside from the bolts attached to her belt pack, she has two fresh extra packs just in case she ran out, slightly scattered on the snow. Valor himself is busy cleaning up of blood from the fight earlier.

"Hi there, Lux." Quinn greeted without turning. "Sorry to be a bit rude, but I can't keep my eye off these sights, else I won't see that bitch rogue waltz right in here."

"_She isn't really mad, if anything she looks like she's enjoying herself, but…" _Lux observed. Quinn's breathing is rather strained, and her movement is somewhat ragged. Her outfit is also lined with cuts and gashes everywhere, but it isn't very deep. It most likely came from her running past thorny bushes.

"_She's exhausted."_

Turning her view a bit to the left, she could see Valor still preening himself. She didn't notice it earlier, but Lux saw a blue and gold bandage around the bird's right wing.

"_That must be where Sion rammed and pinned it with his shoulders, huh?"_

"_No, that's not the reason why Valor can't fly right now."_

Lux suppressed a small _eep_.

"_Don't scare me like that!" _She cried indignantly inside her mind.

"_Oh, c'mon, you know better. Our minds are connected, aren't they?"_

"_Sure they are, but…ah, nevermind, there's much time to talk later. Right now, have you come up with something yet?"_

"_I'm not sure if this is gonna work, but if the snowfall's what I think it is, then it just might." _There is newfound courage in Grey's voice as the shakes started receding.

"_I'm listening."_

"_Well, let me make sure of some things first. Valor can't fly yet, right?"_

Lux glanced over at the bird.

"_No, definitely not."_

"_Can it run fast?"_

Lux tapped Quinn's shoulders lightly.

"Can Valor run fast?" She said, echoing her Summoner's inquiry.

"Yeah, sure. Just not for too long, he tends to get tired really quickly on foot. Why, what've you got?" Quinn nodded her head a little, gesturing to Lux's Summoner.

"Nothing yet."

"Alright, keep me posted." The ranger returned to her crossbow and aligned her eyes on the iron sights.

"_Well, you heard the woman."_

"_Righto, let's get this thing started." _Flexing his fingers outward, Grey tuned out the world around them.

"_Here's what you gonna do…"_

* * *

Grey noticed that playing the role of the Summoner is fundamentally different from those back home in almost, if not every single aspect. For one, in Earth the role of a Summoner is to control the champion like one would a robot. The game was very number-based, and the "meta" rotates around a select pool of champions. Sure, you can potentially win with any champion you wanted to use, but your chances will be substantially higher if you picked on of the "in-guys" or those popular in the current meta. In the real thing, it's a little different. More accurately, a lot different. For starters—

_Whoops._

Grey saw Lux righting herself up with her baton, leaning against a stone wall both for protection and stealth. Tresses of her hair covered half of her face, leaving the bloodied part exposed. Her eyes burned with determination, making the whole scene exciting, invigorating…a bit sexy?

_Where's the popcorn when you need them?_

* * *

Lux held the weapon tight as she shakily helped herself up. She silently relaxed herself on a wall, reaching for another potion in her pack.

_Not a single sound._

It was a good thing that the snow keeps getting harder. The granular material muffled their movements, and their armor of white and blue blended well with the background. She peeked near the edge of the rock, her eyes scanning the area.

"See anything?" Quinn asked.

"No, nothing yet." Lux waited for a few seconds before beckoning the injured avian beside her. It was wary of the blonde mage, but nevertheless it followed her command.

"Hey, Valor. Can you please go over and drop this ward over there?" The Crownguard sibling smiled as sweetly as she can. The blue eagle, seeing the order as suicidal, scoffed and was about to walk away when it heard it's partner.

"Val. Do as she says." Quinn reprimanded, her eyes fixed on the middle lane. Grudgingly, the bird yielded. Crossing the lane, it was spotted by a handful of minions, who are now running at it as fast as their stubby golem legs could. This resulted in Valor indignantly running towards the appointed bush like a chicken. It shoved the blunt end of the ward on the ground and swiftly ran back, dodging the minions with his uninjured wing. The minions' squabbling was enough to catch the attention of Darius, who came back from taking the Bramblehulk's Red Buff. The Noxian chuckled to himself.

"Oh, I could go for a roast eagle today!" Breaking into a run, the general's armor thudded heavily on the floor as his steps felt like tremors to Valor's unfit legs. It shook as it ran, with Darius closing the distance with each step.

Valor squawked in panic, narrowly dodging an axe swing.

Darius' smile grew wider. He stomped the ground, throwing the eagle off guard. It laid prone on the blood-stained white.

_Swing. _Valor saw the axe raised. It slowly reached it's arc zenith. The bird closed it's eyes and accepted it's faith.

_GO!_

Blue feet came out of the white as Quinn came to Valor's rescue, kicking the peerless warrior back. Landing with one knee on the ground, Quinn followed up with a shot, stopping Darius from retaliating. At this, two magical orbs flew directly at the Noxian, snaring him on the ground, while the other had smaller lights orbiting around it like an atom. Then the red laser.

Then the shout of the Demacian light mage.

And then, there was light.

It scattered and rose to the sky, signaling his trip to the infirmary.

"Let's push, quickly!" Quinn urged. The two Demacian fighters ran to help their minions siege the tower. It was halfway to tumbling down, yet it seemed like they're taking eternity. Finally, the structure collapsed.

"Hurry!" Lux threw all her spells at the next wave of enemy minions, wiping them out instantly. The top and bot inhibitor was about to be destroyed until they heard a roar of anguish.

The two Demacians looked at each other in shock.

"Sion!"

They saw the hulking gray juggernaut kicking the stone beneath his feet like a bull. Quinn looked at Lux.

"Brace yourself." Quinn hopped back a few steps.

"Wh-What're you—aah!" Lux raised her hand in reflex. The Demacian scout kicked on it like a springboard, sending the mage near the Red Base Entrance. Lux saw Quinn shout something, but whatever it was, it was drowned by the sound of Sion charging towards the blue ranger.

"CRUSH!"

Quinn acted on instinct, diving to her right. The minions there just finished taking down the inhibitor.

_Maybe I can lose him through the minions!_

As she stood up, a sharp pain rocked her back waist, forcing her back on the ground. The Undead Juggernaut saw this and reared his glowing red axe.

"BLOOD!"

"_No!" _Lux turned back to cast a spell, but she felt her knees buckle with pain. She looked down. It bled.

"Remember me?" Katarina grinned, kicking Lux in a roundhouse. It sent her on the floor as Lux managed to deflect most of the force, but it still knocked her down. She was lying face-up on the snow, her limbs spread open. Katana du Couteau kicked the baton away and applied pressure on Lux's wrist with her heels. She looked down on the Demacian and grinned widely. Lux returned the favor with a dirty eye.

"Without merc—" Katarina was cut-off as Valor rose from the snow and into her face, it's wing completely healed.

_Wow, that was fast._

Lux heard her summoner speak for the first time since earlier. His voice is low and hushed, as if he is talking to himself. Valor kept the rogue distracted as Lux picked up her baton and saw her brother, along with Galio and Xin Zhao, march from the base. Garen stopped beside her sister, gave her a flask, and patted her on the head.

"Nice job. Now, let us finish the match for you. You have earned some rest."

At this, Lux gently slapped the palm away, earning her a raised eyebrow from all three. Katarina is well off now, having escaped Valor's deadly talons with a lucky **Shunpo**.

"I'm not a baby anymore that needs to be coddled time and again!" The hot-headed sibling stomped childishly. Shaking his head, Garen smiled to himself.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Bottoms up. The Noxians won't sit on their bottoms waiting for us, you know." Marching on, the two warriors ran to the hulking gray Noxian. Galio took flight and flung himself to the giant. The other two, Garen and Xin Zhao, jumped off Sion's body to reach the towers—until large raven claws erupted from the ground, trapping them in place. Out behind the tower came Swain, along with the other three champions: Darius, Draven and Katarina.

"Dispatch these worms!" Swain ordered.

A purple beam of magical energy erupted from Beatrice's mouth, shooting towards Xin Zhao. The former gladiator braced for combat but before it reached him it swerved towards the ground.

"Huh?"

It looped around his legs, his torso, his arms. Before he knew it, the coils surrounding him tightened, greatly slowing him down. He gritted his teeth as the arcane wire burned against his skin, but he kept forward. Garen charged towards the tactician.

"DEMACIA!"

He charged. Swain sidestepped the attack and deflected a strike with his cane. Garen slashed diagonally twice, but both got parried. He then brought his sword in front of him and spun around. The balding general stepped back as Darius took his place, swinging to meet his foe's axis.

"Ha! Fight _me._" The two clashed blades as Galio tossed the barely-conscious Sion into the fray. Swinging his hammerfists up, with a mighty flap he rose into the air and landed in the middle of the fray. He smashed Sion's face twice, launched him into the air and hit him with a **Resolute Smite**, killing the warrior once more.

Lux arrived at the scene slightly better. Her leg wounds have healed and her arms are now swinging properly. Her stomach area still hurt, but she ignored it and carried on. Dropping the flask, she called to her summoner.

"_Hey. A bit of help?" _She asked sheepishly.

"_Yep, was waiting for that. Hmm, okay, let's start by snaring Kat over there. Throw your Binding behind Xin."_

"_Eh? But Kat's right beside—"_

"_Trust me on this one."_

_Alright. _Lux resigned to herself . Firing the projectile, it seemed to be aimed nowhere…until Katarina Shunpo'd her way behind Xin and tried to slice his throat.

"Gah!" The rogue screamed as light rings formed around her wrists and ankles, rooting her in place. The Seneschal thrusted his spear backwards, hitting Katarina straight on the stomach. He then did a **Crescent Sweep**, sending the surrounding Noxians flying.

"Haayaah!" The red-headed assassin yelled, dodging a spear thrust. She landed on his shoulders, pinned his head between her feet, and spinned backward. Xin Zhao was thrown to his feet, his neck aching.

"Tch." He shook his head and charged at Katarina, but she leapt overhead and landed between the three Demacians.

"_Lux, now! Cast a shield on them!"_

The blonde mage's shield arrived just in time as a sphere of light deflected streams of knives being tossed at them. Xin Zhao ducked, narrowly dodging a flying axe. Deflecting two axes in his way, he ran towards the Executioner.

"Naughty, eh? Catch _this_!" Draven exclaimed, two axes spinning horizontally towards Xin's feet. The warrior is pushed aside, entering Darius's range.

"Two for one? Perfect." He spun his axe, scarring a large dent on the two Demacians' armor. Garen and Xin Zhao charged him. Meanwhile, Galio is trying to catch Katarina as she leapt and wove through his bulky frame. A slide down, a spinning kick, a _spinning backflip_, all while throwing daggers. The gargoyle is slowly being worn away as Katarina played her little game.

"_Lux, Draven's open now. Fire all you've got at him!"_

Complying to his command, Lux fired off her earlier combo. Snare, pop, boom. Two rapid projectiles went right under their noses as Draven got hit. Upon hitting, Lux rose into the air, her staff rapidly spinning in front of her.

"Yiiiyah!" The beam of arcane light hit Draven on the chest, past his hair, through his form. He was evaporated in less than a second. The victory gave her a boost as she cheered. Katarina saw this and tossed a **Bouncing Blade**.

"_Lux, to your left!"_

A knife is spinning in her direction, but it's too fast to dodge! Lux brought her hands up on reflex, when suddenly…

_Ting! _The knife bounced off harmlessly as she saw a barrier envelop her. Galio's **Bulwark **protected her from a wave of axes as she barely felt the pain. The protection of the sentinel gave her courage, a sense of confidence emerging from within her as she sent another wave of spells in the clash. Targeted twice, the Hand of Noxus lost his momentum, prompting a counterattack from Xin. In the corner of her eye, she saw her brother Garen slowly succumbing to Swain, whose bird Beatrice is bounding Garen down with it's **Deceprify**.

"Hey you, birdbrain!" Lux picked up a rock and tossed it at Swain's head. It didn't do much to hurt the Noxian general, in fact he almost didn't feel anything, but it was enough distraction for Garen to break out of Beatrice's shackles and into Swain's personal space.

_Swoosh. _Garen's sword came down hard as Swain tried to block it with his staff, but it got sliced in half. Darius also fell as Xin Zhao slammed him at the gut and smashed the spearhead to his face with an upward strike. At this, Katarina leaped from the white and into the fray, a graceful shunpo to Xin's back, and _stab_.

"Xin!" Lux cried as light enveloped the warrior and shattered.

This shocked the Blue Team as Katarina took advantage, another shunpo to Galio, a kick in the face, and a **Death Lotus**. The blade storm slowly tore through Galio's defenses. In a moment of courage, Galio slammed his shoulder at Katarina, landed in the middle of the clash, and cast the **Idol of Durand**. A whirlwind of magical energy compelled the Noxians to strike him, who is harder than stone.

"_Lux, now! Focus your skills on Katarina! Open fire!"_

_Agreed! _Lux sent a wave of attacks, finally apprehending the Sinister Blade. The twisting energies finally coalesced around Galio and exploded, killing Darius and Katarina. Only Swain was left as he used what's left of his wooden staff to help himself up.

"Surrender!" Garen Demacians chanted in unison as they surrounded the Master Tactician. Lux walked towards the man to finish the match. She's tired, and is almost out of mana. She just has enough for one burst, but alas, she doesn't need it anyway.

"_Or will you?"_

She heard Grey's voice in her head. He's not planning to stop them again, is he? He's been a good Summoner from the beginning to say the least, and his plans and techniques have always succeeded. But this one's just one baton slap away from victory! The middle and bottom minions are already tearing down the enemy nexus, and all Noxians, except for Swain, are currently waiting for respawn. What's supposed to stop them now? A sneeze?

"_C'mon, Grey. I can see your point earlier, but now you're just being unreasonable."_

"_I…don't feel so victorious yet. Seriously, don't go near him. His title, the Master Tactician, is there for a reason. He—"_

"_Relax. I don't know why you're so paranoid about things, but rest assured we can handle it from here."_

"_If…tch, if you say so." _Grey resigned, though he sounded very unconvinced.

Lux walked. Garen and Xin Zhao ran to secure, while Galio folded his wings and tiredly walked towards the target. His wings revealed multiple large cracks, mostly from axe hacks. Drinking a potion from out of nowhere, he sat a good distance between Lux and the Nexus and watched. As the Blue champions moved slowly towards Swain, he grasped his head and laughed.

The Demacians stopped in their tracks. A second passes.

"**FOOLS!" **Swain's voice boomed as massive raven claws appeared from a magical circle and trapped two of them. Galio flung itself onto him, but he sidestepped the attack, causing the gargoyle to crash on the ground. The ground turned slippery, causing Garen to fall. Xin Zhao charged at him, but Beatrice fired a magical bolt at the ground, causing the snow to melt. The Demacians are motionless as ravens flocked to Swain, enveloping his form. They made a unified cawing noise, as if chanting a spell, and when they dispersed, a monstrous raven-human hybrid appeared.

"**Let's see who's stronger now!"**

Swain casted another **Nevermove **at the two fighters, hitting Garen with **Torment **and **Deceprify**.

"**Burn!"**

Xin Zhao rose from the snow and leaped in front of him. He slashed at the transformed mage twice; one diagonal, one horizontal. He found flesh as his weapon sliced at him, but Swain didn't seem to notice. The murder of crows turned their attention to the gladiator as they left Garen, who is being enveloped by white light. Swain shoved Xin Zhao, causing him to slip and fall into a green magic circle.

Galio rose from the ground and struck the flock away with his **Resolute Smite**, but it's too late. Xin Zhao is gone.

"No!" Lux cried. Galio tried to smash Swain with his fists, but the mage simply tethered him with **Deceprify **and **Torment**, causing it to fall as well. Galio's form shook terribly as he tried to raise himself—but he failed. Magical stone slumped as light enveloped him and shattered, leaving Lux alone with the monstrous creature in front of her.

There's one thing left to do.

"_Run! Whatever you do, don't let Swain get near you."_

Adrenaline surged through Lux as she turned tails and dashed to the base exit, with Swain right at her feet. The oncoming minions gave them some space in between as she exited the base and went to the remaining topside defenses. The minions there are pushing the tower down. While they aren't very significant by themselves, their sheer numbers should discourage the Master Tactician from following her there.

Or would it?

The foe in question is currently marching towards the top lane in human form, making it just after the tower fell. He confidently strode into the fray and transformed, the ravens scattering in a nova of beak and claw. The minion wave dissipated like meat in a piranha attack, giving Swain a truckload of gold.

"_Doesn't look good, does it?"_

"…_Yeah." _Lux exhaled, unknowingly holding her breath the entire time.

"_Unfortunately, he's back to full health at the moment. I have a thing that just might work. Might." _Grey offered. It appears that real life Swain doesn't have the three-raven output limit; he can send an individual raven, obviously magical, to any target near the immediate area. This makes things all the more harder.

Oh wait.

Lux didn't hear it, but Grey heard the call of a familiar Demacian eagle from the base platform.

_Wait. Let's re-assess the situation._

There is currently only one inhibitor standing up. The rest are minions marching to destroy the Nexus turrets in a fruitless siege, since that Swain is there in his bird form. The Noxian champs are still a few minutes away, and the Demacians are even farther.

Except for Quinn, who is already making her way towards the Red Base with a fresh wave of minions plus the one in a mecha-like suit. Valor is flying ahead, scouting for anything that will give them an edge for the battle.

_The duo is currently unaware of Swain. If only I can talk to Valor somehow, then _maybe _I can make this work._

"_Lux." _Grey called. The champion in question is currently trying to ward off the approaching Swain, still in his bird form.

"…_Y-Yeah?" _Lux replied with ragged breathing. While Swain drew on a seemingly endless stream of energy, she is already in a state where the ending of the match will be a godsend, regardless of the result. She dropped herself on the snow, letting the chilly wind sway her exhausted body.

"_You still have any energy left for flares?" _

Lux checked. No, not a chance. She just spent the last of her mana forcing Swain to return and kill off the minions' siege at the Nexus towers, and his ravens keep sustaining him from the battle strain.

"_Sorry…I-I don't have much left in me. I'm sorry if I failed you; you're so full of vitality and strength and yet…" _The Demacian let out a tired sigh.

"_It's been a really great match, you know. It's been a long time, a _really _long time since I had to push myself this hard. I had a lot of fun!" _She laughed. Her lungs pulsed with pain, immediately stopping her. A sad smile showed on her lips.

"_Thanks for being such a great summoner…friend." _Her eyes felt heavy. What she wouldn't give to just close her eyes and let the darkness comfort her…

"_Hey, HEY!" _Grey screamed. _"Don't be so damn melodramatic! You aren't going to die here even if I throw you in the middle of the Red platform! Pull yourself together girl!"_

Lux slowly opened her eyes.

_It's that commanding voice again…_

"_What? Do I have to get down there myself and kick your ass to life! Wake the fuck up, soldier! Who do you think I am? Coward McWeakling? Hell no, and so are you! You can do this!"_

Looking down her body, she could see another fresh batch of wounds oozing blood. Her leather armor's all torn apart, and it's barely holding up. Her staff's scratched up, but it still glowed with power. Her power.

"_I'm waiting, young lady."_

Lux chuckled. He sounded exactly like Garen when she was just fresh in the military. Gripping on the steel baton, she shakily stood up. A renewed sense of strength washed over her.

_I've already gotten this far. Might as well win this thing._

She smiled. It isn't a smile of ignorance, or one that accepted defeat. It's a confident smile that Grey saw; a smile in knowing that certain victory is at hand.

"_That's my girl! Now, you got any mana or something for flares?"_

"_No way. Too tired."_

"_Well then, find something to signal Valor. He's flying overhead; you might be able to alert him to you and ask him to get some potions. I know a few bottles of health and mana potions won't be enough, but it'll have to do. We don't have much time until the Red champs spawn. Luckily, Quinn's already in the way. She can deal with Swain—providing she listens to me."_

Lux paused a bit to chew on the information.

"_Are you certain? That avian form is…problematic, to say the least."_

"_Which is why we'll need that scouting duo. Now, how do I connect to Quinn/Valor's mind?"_

The Materia coalesced and shaped into a USB in his hand, symbolizing his connection to a champion. He noticed that one flash drive is plugged into a floating port.

_Must be Lux's._

"_You can't, not this time anyway. There are match types such as Warlord where a single summoner is given control to 5 individual champions. There are also a few more but the match right now is just a normal match but with spectators and evaluators; an audition, if you will." She explained as her stamina slowly recovered._

"_Why didn't you tell this to me earlier?"_

"_Um, you never asked?"_

"_You did realize that this match would've been a lot easier right? Anyway, I don't have enough rapport to guarantee Quinn/Valor summoner's aid, but you might, with your fellow champion. I honestly don't know how to do that, so I'll leave it up to you how you'll have her listen to me."_

"_Okay, leave it to me."_

* * *

Swain effortlessly slew the last minion wave. For him, the game has gone far too long, and he's weary of his summoner being tactically…lacking. Had it not been for Lux and her summoner, he would've just forfeited the match out of sheer boredom a long time ago. His spies have informed him of a certain _alien _that the Voidwalker picked up from one of his walks. He apparently was picked up for a potential "cultural exchange", but Swain knew better; one would not discover a country and merely smile at them.

The tactician is broken from his thoughts as Lux appeared. Her armor is barely holding itself, but the mage seemed eager. Eager to end it all.

"It seems that you grow weary of this fight as well."

"I do, that's why I have a proposal for you."

"I'm listening."

"Let's have a duel in front of the Baron."

"And what? Let the minions shred my Nexus to nothingness? You're…fine. I'm tired of this anyway." He agreed, surprisingly.

"W-What?!"

"Yes, my dear enemy, I will duel you for the victory on one condition. We will duel _here_. Right here, right now."

Lux closed her eyes for a moment. After mouthing a few words, probably to her summoner, she nodded.

Both took a deep breath.

Lux leaped sideways as raven claws rose from the ground, almost pinning her in place. Her right foot broke her tumble. She used the remaining momentum to launch herself forward, rushing at Swain. Moving at him faster than he thought, Lux brought her baton behind her and swung it like a broadsword. Swain managed to duck out of the way. Lux swung back, but this time, Swain parries it with his hardwood staff. At that moment, both combatants heave themselves off. Swain lost his footing but quickly regained his balance while Lux landed on her bottom, again. Prepared, she drew her limbs and rolled sideways, dodging another Nevermove. She broke onto a kneeling position and cast a Light Binding, snaring Swain in place. She placed her hands on the floor, adjusted her legs to kneeling position, and pushed—

"W-what?!" Her fatigue caught up to her as her knees gave way, forcing her back down. Her body suddenly felt very heavy, and it started aching all over. Clutching a knee wound, Lux bit her lip, trying to will herself up. Seeing this, Swain laughed maniacally.

"Hahahahaha! Who would've thought that the famous Lady of Luminosity—Luxanna Crownguard—would fail at a time like this? While you have been running around all the time, I've been gathering energy, readying myself for battle. After all," He leaned close to Lux.

"The taller they stand, the harder they fall." Swain transformed into his Raven form and was about to finish the Demacian mage, but—

Valor dived from the skies as he transformed himself into a living projectile. The feathered bullet hit Swain square on the chest, pushing him back. The Demacian eagle continued his rapid assault, weaving around the monster's large frame. Ravens followed in pursuit, but he easily dodged and tore through them, with Lux's shield defending him from harm.

"You..." Now, it's Lux's time to grin as Swain tried to hit the speeding wings at melee.

"Never saw that coming, huh mister Tactician? It's a trap, one of the oldest tricks in the book." Quinn appeared from the oncoming minion wave, tossing Lux a bandage kit and a potion. Finally, the blue whirlwind sped back to his partner as he left Swain tired and wounded. A smile was exchanged by the three combatants as they watched the Red Nexus slowly being torn down.

"Bah. My mind's exhausted anyway, trying to find a way to help these fools." He pointed to his head, chuckling under his breath.

**EDIT: Finally noticed why the line formatting isn't doing so well (stupid me). I put in the lines so that it'll be a lot less confusing. Thanks for the support everyone!**


	8. Chapter 8: That New Guy

**Chapter 6: That New Guy**

Cheers filled the air as the Materia in the room dissipated, allowing the would-be Summoners to leap up in joy and jubilation. Everyone did so.

Except Grey, that is.

Still sitting on the comfy, comfy chair that has been provided for them, he can't help but reflect on the truckload of revelations that mentally slapped him on the face. Even now, he is feeling the onset of a major headache.

_Fatigue's setting in. Ugh._

Taking a deep breath, he let out a big exhale and stood up, chasing the other summoners running towards the now-active portal.

Stepping through the portal, they returned to the briefing area they've been to half an hour ago. The gentle snowfall put on a new layer of soft snow, and the wind's chill is significantly colder. If the instructor is feeling a bit too cold for comfort, he is certainly good at hiding it.

"Gather 'round, little mages, and get ready for a debriefing." As he said that, several minions, all without weapons, made their way in front of the small congregation carrying chairs. They were made of varnished wood, and are strangely simplistic, considering the company that will be using them. The area is silent save for the heavily muffled howling of the wind and the sound of human bodies shuffling to their seats. Then they arranged themselves in a semi-circular formation, with the instructor at the center.

He received a what looked like a nondescript deep blue colored doctor's pad, until it's lines started glowing with magical energy.

_Whoa._

Runes seemingly carved themselves at the pad's face as the instructor looked intently at what's written. It looked like flames below a gutter as it continued to etch itself on the board. Finished, the instructor did a double take and read everything once again. He let out a satisfied sigh as he handed it to the waiting minion and faced the gathered youth with a contented look.

"Yep, guess most of you got to pass. Welcome to the Academy." A collective cheer rang throughout the small crowd. The remaining Noxian summoners all did handshakes and fistbumps whereas their Demacian counterparts exchanged curtsies. Having no one to shake hands with, Grey decided to walk over to the other blonde mage he knew: Jaina.

She is both shaking and curtsying at people as they pass by, and seeing her new acquaintance broke her rhythm a little.

"Hi, had fun?" She appears to be wearing minimal make-up, and her hair is tied up with a single silk hair tie. The hood of her red cloak is down, revealing a head of dirty blonde hair. Her blue eyes twinkled with curiosity as she looked inquisitively at him. She wore a simple nondescript blue dress underneath the cloak, and brown fur boots wrapped her feet snugly with warmth.

Grey took a moment to notice how similar she is to a certain Warcraft character.

_It's coincidence, pretty sure it is._

Before his mouth managed to utter a reply, a voice interrupted the merry scene.

"You. Yes you, the one with the gray gauntlet. Follow me. The rest of you, follow this stone path until you get to the Institute's branch here and they'll be leading you from there."

Curious, Grey complied to the command, tugging his robe closer and rubbing his hands as he went up to the instructor. He is a balding man, looked about in his 60's, and wore a large fur robe with what looked like the embroidery design of the Institute.

After a brief silence, a smile tore through his face as he shook Grey's hand heavily. A bit uncomfortable, but a welcome gesture nonetheless.

"In all my years of introducing young summoners in the academy, rarely have I seen someone so good, so decisive..." As he was speaking, Lux appeared from her own portal, teleporting to the large Nexus-like gem. She had her armor patched up, recovered her fallen breastplate, a brand-new baton, and had her personal effects fixed. She had her wounds treated, and had a light skip on her feet.

"Hey." She smiled at Grey, and shook the hand of the instructor.

"Thanks, mister."

"No problems, Lux. Anyways, as I was saying, the Institute has told me to..." He paused. Seeing Grey starting to sweat bullets, he chuckled, then a chortle, and on to a full-blown laugh. Lux is also giggling happily at the side.

"Told you what?" Grey tapped his foot impatiently. Calming down, the instructor wiped a tear as he cleared his throat.

"Ah, ehem, yes. As of now, the Institute has decided that you skip the Academy altogether and join the League!" He announced happily. Lux approached him and put her hands on his shoulders.

"Wow, great job!" Meanwhile, Grey is in a state of minor shock as his head went blank. Blank darkness swam in his mind until a snowball collided with his face. Wiping the snow off, it revealed Lux sporting a large grin, and on her is a blue-and-white fur coat, with gold trimmings. Flung back to his senses, he noticed that the champions in the match weren't around. That, and the cold weather is starting to get colder.

"Well? Aren't you going to say something?" Lux piped up. Grey slowly turned his head to the instructor, who is now smoking a pipe leisurely. Puffing up a gray cloud, the instructor turned to him with a knowing grin.

"Now, now, don't be so nervous about it. You've got skills, wit, and the doting of a very cute champion. Look, she's already giving you groom-gifts!" He teased. The champion in question looked at her feet, blushing.

"That-that is not how it is! Shut up!" Lux shouted, embarrassed. Grey meanwhile, is speechless. The banter between the champion and the instructor went on for a few minutes until Lux got tired of throwing snowballs. She dusted the snow off her coat and took Grey's gauntleted hand. The faint white light—her own magic—is slowly fading away. The runes etched around the blank orb also started to lose their glow.

"Oh yeah, here..." Grey took the small leather belt of the hand armor. Before he was able to fully unstrap the lock mechanism, Lux gestured for him to stop. She readjusted her coat in a hurried manner before explaining.

"It's yours." Lux clarified. The look on his face made her want to giggle again, but she controlled herself. He had this thousand-mile stare on his face, but this time it isn't a bad thing. It was the look of a person who just won the lottery grand prize, and can't believe it's actually happening. Amused by her escortee's bewilderment, she did not notice a small furry object chasing around a small bird.

She let out a small _eep_ as a poro tripped over her foot. The fuzzy white ball stared at the metal boot curiously, with it's absurdly large tongue hanging out. It tilted it's frame before jumping on said boot and curling up there, causing the owner of said boot to squeal happily.

"PORO!"

She elatedly picked up the rotund furball and snuggled it. Meanwhile, Grey has recovered from his stupor, only to see the light-wielding champion cuddling a deformed goat like one would a puppy. He found the situation surreal. Should he find it cute, or strange?

A third option presented itself as the instructor sputtered a fake cough, catching their attention. Lux stopped cooing as Grey stopped staring, while the poro leaped out of her arms and onto Grey's shoulder.

"How did this furball do what it just did? You know what? Never mind, I'll just remove logic out of this entire world and leave it at my doorstep, that's what I'll do." He patted the creature's head, making it's eyes close in delight.

"Anyway, as I was saying, there'll be a ball later this evening. You don't know this, but there are multiple entrance tests set by the Institute, all over Runeterra. Whether you fail or you passed, you will all attend the ball to meet the higher-ups, as well as a few of the champions that you will be working with." The instructor stroked his beard sagely.

"That, and there are tons of beautiful young women there! Ah, how good it is to be young..."

"A hot meal and some rest might be good, first." Grey cut the old man off. While he wasn't new to extended periods of both mental and physical strain, he didn't particularly like it either.

"I totally agree. I wonder what the League cafeteria is serving?" Lux wondered. "Ah, want to join me in the Champion Cafeteria? Nobody'll ask questions as long as you stick to me. Summoner dorms aren't that far from there either."

"Yeah, sure. And _you _be my pet. What do you eat? Bread?" The poro joined the three leaving humans, happily grunting as it went. Out of one land and into another, the would-be summoner couldn't help but wonder.

"_What's happening over there now?"_

* * *

"Ow!"

A boy bumped his foot as one of his companions felt his way to the light switch. Light flooded the room as they saw it how they last left it: a mess. Clothes are haphazardly piled on the couch, while empty pizza boxes are stacked over the trash can. Some dishes are also piled in the sink, but a few lay clean on the nearby dish rack.

"It looks like he went here before the shop and cleaned up a few things." The checkered girl commented.

"Yeah, clothes don't fold themselves together like these. Hey Audrey, these yours?" A voice echoed from the large bedroom. The girl known as Audrey caught the flying piece of cloth coming from the voice. It was her shirt, albeit washed, but not ironed nor folded, and smelled like detergent. She shrugged and looked for a towel to use.

"Hey, you're not planning on taking a bath, are you? We're here to find something that might tell us where that guy went off to. Serves him right for leaving us by himself." The voice in the living room said jokingly.

"Unlike you, Grey doesn't whine like a bitch when he gets lost." Audrey retorted, fighting back a chortle. Meanwhile, the voice in the bedroom let out a full blown laugh.

"H-Hey, stop ganging up on me! You too, Raph, you should be helping us find something!"

An hour later, the three sat together on the sofa. Audrey let out a long sigh as she sank in the seat. Raph handed out cans of soda, while Lou twiddled his fingers. They drank in silence until finally Lou put his empty can on the table.

"We should've went to the police early on." He said, in a vindicated tone.

"Oh, so we should go for the police every time one of us is missing for a day? What are we, elementary?" Audrey put up a cool front, but the other two saw through her ruse immediately.

"Uh-huh. Look, we don't have _anything _telling us where he is, we have _no _idea where he might be, and _no one _knows who that cosplayer was." Raph finished his drink and tossed it into the empty trash can.

"Wait, did we try calling the staff yet?" Lou piped up.

"No, not yet." A few silent seconds passed before Lou spoke up again. Apparently everyone forgot what they were thought in elementary school.

"Alright, I'll do it." He sighed as he took out his phone and dialed. The other end rang twice before a young man's voice – post-grad, Lou guessed – answered. He had a somewhat raspy effect to his tone and Lou made a sound.

"Oh, sorry sir." The man cleared his throat before speaking. "You have reached the League of Legends Forums help desk. How may I help you?"

As Lou was talking to the staff over the phone, Raph looked over at Audrey. The brown-haired brunette twirled her hair with her index finger as she waited, bored. He could tell that she'd rather have a match right now and deal with the whole thing later, but on the other hand he can clearly see the worry beneath her eyes. It was clear. The way she bit her lip in anxiety, her twirling suddenly quickening, then slowing down: She is getting frustrated.

After a few moments, Lou put his phone down on the table, a pensive look etched on his face. Audrey and Raph scuttled closer to him as they gave the wannabe socialite a hopeful look. Inhaling deeply, he shook his head. The three deflated into the sofa as they stared at the ceiling, their heads blank.

"Great, wha—" Raph started, but a flash of brown and red froze him in place.

"WAIT! I FOUND IT!" Audrey suddenly shouted.

"What? Your feminine side?" Lou lazily replied, his eyes closed. Cracking his left eye just a tiny bit open, he can see the girl's rather generous behind reared up to him. Of course, it's far from her seducing him and more like her frustratingly scanning each page of Yellow Pages like a scanner on crack. That being said, as far as he's concerned, he would _totally _take her out on a date if she was a bit more of a kisser and a bit less of a puncher. Ah well.

"There!" Seeming to have found something, Audrey bolted to the next room and after a few seconds returned with a rather sleek laptop. Turning it open and pushing the power button, she was practically abuzz with excitement as she grabbed the phonebook and tossed it at the stack of magazines near the kitchen counter. Raph's amused snort caught Lou's attention. This thirty-something man just had his friend vanish, literally, into thin air, and he acts like it's just another day under the sun? Lou might not look like it, but he's actually very anxious about the whole thing, retreating to his smartphone to somewhat soothe his nerves.

The smartphone guy himself, seemingly not taking the hint, was hit by a flying shoe at the head. Looking up irritably, he identified the source to be Audrey, beckoning him to come closer. As he did, he can hear Raph murmuring gibberish to himself, while Audrey had a determined look on her face as she typed along.

Finally, she stopped her typing as they landed on a sub-forum dedicated to strange sightings. She clicked a link.

"Man Vanishes in Condominium, Weird Ice Found in His Place."

He looked at the Audrey's face, one eyebrow raised. Sighing, she clicked a picture.

"What, it's just a broken—"

Lou's eyes widened. It wasn't just ordinary ice that was embedded on the door frames. It was dark, and it spread like roots on the wall like a creeping orchid. And it looked strangely familiar.

The three looked at each other before simultaneously shaking their heads.

"No. Way."

* * *

"So, that was an awesome game, Grey." Lux happily re-stated her thoughts for the _n_th time as champion and summoner entered the cafeteria. The aroma of delicious food blasted their noses as the noises followed suit. It was packed full with champions, mostly humans, to Grey's relief. The few that aren't are yordles, and are leisurely eating away with their taller counterparts. The champions that were in the earlier match were also present, and are beckoning the two to sit at their table.

Lux gladly accepted the offer, while Grey was left looking in awe at the sheer size of the place.

"_This isn't a cafeteria, it's a food court!"_

Calling it a food court is an understatement. The "room" would be more fit to call a hall, as it is so large, and the walls are beautifully decorated with portraits. The lighting is controlled by magical lacrimas, a sphere-shaped object that contains magic. Since the time of day is dusk, the area is bathed in a lazy orange haze. Soft lounge music plays in the background as champions and summoners alike join in friendly camaraderie. Minion waiters rush to and fro in an orderly manner as they handled each order efficiently, while human cooks handed over delicious dishes over the counter. What struck him the most is how the aromas didn't conflict with each other, as is typical in indoor food courts, and instead fused into a single mouth-watering sensation. A quick nip from the poro on his shoulder brought him back to reality as they approached the Demacian table, though that didn't slow down his fast-growing appetite one bit.

"Hi everyone!" Lux greeted cheerfully.

They were as before: Garen, Xin Zhao and Quinn. Galio is missing, but in the sentinel's place is Shyvana, who is casually wolfing down a whole roasted leg of lamb. She didn't pay the cheerful girl much mind, as she knew that's how she really is. A bit annoying at times, but bearable. On the other hand, that summoner she's with seems quite unfamiliar…

Ignoring the fawning champions around her, Shyvana went straight to the point and addressed the summoner, using said leg as a pointing stick.

"Hey, you."

The cooing abruptly stopped as the heads turned to her. Grey is in a mix of confusion, fear, and excitement as he gulped in a mouthful of water.

_I feel like a hare being stared at by a wolf…_

"Uh…yeah?"

At that moment, the half-reptile champion smirked, amused.

"Don't worry, I won't eat you. What's your name?" The draconian female scooted a bit further in, patting the now-vacant place at her right. Grey took the offer, his fingers unconsciously twiddling themselves in anxiety. Sure, he uses Shyv. Sure, he's good at her. Sure, he liked the concept and the champion…and her Ironscale depiction, the one he can see right in front of him, is pleasant to the eyes. All of that, and yet he's still sweating bullets. Shyvana noticed the summoner's discomfort, but paid it no mind. It's always like that the first time around.

"Um, hi." The summoner was caught between looking at the ground and looking at her as the silent table listened intently. Even the poro, who was lavishing in the affection it was getting, stopped to see where the hand with the Poro-Snax went. The stare of her crimson eyes unnerved him even more as his hands started to get sweaty. What did this champion want with him?

Said champion dropped her food on the plate and chuckled. Typical, but at least he doesn't cower in fear.

"Relax, you're not on my menu tonight."

Everybody in the table save the dragoness exhaled loudly. Shyvana didn't get along with a lot of summoners, so they were also nervous that they might have another argument. The last guy who did ended up at the healer's with some "minor" burns.

"Aha, ahaha, ahahaha…" Grey laughed nervously.

"Bet you where one of those college types, hanging around in libraries and scholarly meetings and all that." Shyvana said, using a bone as her toothpick. Grey caught a glimpse of what's inside her mouth, and her teeth are very…white. Sharp too, and tough enough to bite through bone like wet paper, but he tried to ignore that.

"Uh, yeah!"

"So what did you study there?" The woman inquired.

_C'mon Grey, pull your shit together. Fake it 'till you make it._

"Well, I studied medicine."

"Oh, now that's actually useful. Pretty sure you know who I am already, but I'll do it anyway. Name's Shyvana, glad to meet you." She offered her non-roast-sauce-covered hand.

"Name's Grey. The feeling's mutual."

Shyvana saw his previously tense posture relax. His forced straight-back posture now gave way to a bit of slouch, but shoulders still held high. A relaxed yet confident pose.

_That's quicker than most, Jarvan included._

"What's quick?" Grey said. She must've unconsciously spoke her thoughts out loud. The sudden realization made her blood creep up to her cheeks like a plague, but she held herself down.

"Hmph, nothing." The summoner shrugged it off. She's glad for it. A lot of summoners would've tried to get in her head, either through blunt questioning or by thinly veiled inquiries. A low rumbling broke the silence.

"Ah…" Quickly, Grey picked up the menu between him and Shyvana, opened it, and signaled at the nearest waiter with an orderly haste.

"Give me some of this, and—oh wait—" In the middle of his haste, he totally forgot that he's out of any money or such. Thankfully, Lux quickly interjected, throwing a coin pouch at him. It was full of copper, silver, and gold coins, but mostly silver.

"There. That's your, well, allowance. You're now as summoner after all. Not as ceremonial an entrance as it would've been if you graduated from the Academy, but hey, at least you don't have to burn through all the books…save for the ones already in your room."

Grey looked at her incredulously.

"It's from the match earlier. You can think of it as your first payroll." Lux smiled, friendly. Having had quite enough of her daily fill of social interaction, Shyvana stood up and left the scene. There's something different in that summoner, and from what she gathered, Galio was in that match as well. Perhaps he can shed some light on the matter?

As she silently left the group, she heard the summoner call back.

"Hey, where're you going?" He asked. That's strange, usually she'll pick up a summoner sigh deeply or something similar. She's never had a summoner that actually likes being in her presence, exempting those that have her in their rosters or—irritating as they are—suitors.

"You haven't finished your leg of lamb." He said.

_Already he's starting to shake off my intimidation. Odder and odder._

* * *

"Somewhere. See you around."

The tense atmosphere soon evaporated as the draconian left the room. Quinn and Lux went back to playing with the poro, Garen continued his stories with Xin, and the Seneschal himself, while maintaining his stoic expression, is clearly interested in what Garen has to say. Grey, meanwhile, took a moment to calm his nerves as he sipped on the recently served juice. The juice tasted good; as if the best fruits of the harvest was squeezed dry of it's liquids right in front of him, and served into a drink.

"Delicious!" He exclaimed. Quinn promptly followed him as she drank the entire cup in one big gulp.

"Right?" Unlike the other champions on the table, Quinn had no reservations and decided to wolf down whatever was on her plate. Grey found the scene quite amusing since she was eating chicken, and Valor is still perched on her shoulder, without any reaction whatsoever.

Speaking of Valor, a question popped up in his mind.

"Hey, what about the other champs? All I see here are from either Demacia or Noxus. A few from Piltover too." He thought he saw Caitlyn and Ezreal conversing on a different table.

_Ezreal doesn't look nor act gay at all. And I don't see Taric anywhere._

"Well, they come and go, but those who don't have much to do, or places to go, often stay here. It's free lodging, and the only thing you have to do is to keep your quarters clean and tidy, and to fight in the Rift at least once a day. It isn't that hard, considering that most wounds we get there are just superficial." Lux commented. Grey looked shocked once again, and looked at Quinn for affirmation. The ranger just closed her eyes and laughed silently to herself, shaking her head slowly. It's an unwritten requirement in the League to be skilled in acting to some extent; even if you aren't, it'll eventually rub on you.

"Then earlier, why—"

"Heh, it's an _evaluation _match, Grey! Just like the Institute, we also want to know who we'll be working with. It would be a pain to work with somebody you're not compatible with, right?" The mage smiled brightly at him. He chuckled back

_Makes sense. A necessary lie._

"Still, don't get us wrong, the pain is _very _real, just not the injuries. The illusion casted in the Rift will make you feel and see that you lost your arm, or you got burned, but actually you aren't. You just think and sense that you did." Quinn interjected.

"And for those champions that are a bit more on the…beastier side, they're pretty much free to go where they please, so long as they prove themselves to be trustworthy. It's not that odd to stumble at Rammus in the middle of the jungle, or to see Skarner heading off somewhere. Of course, champions like Nocturne or Cho'Gath are being guarded very closely." Lux continued, saying the second part in a smaller voice.

A nod and so after, Grey continued to eat his meal silently, partly due to still being intimidated to video game characters come to life, and partly due to the food being just that _delicious_. He also noticed that Valor is hungrily eyeing a piece of his meal, which he rescued from the bird's gaze and into his mouth.

A few moments later, he was contently wiping off the remaining sauce in his plate with a piece of meat, finishing the meal entirely. Drinking his last cup of water, he stood up and looked at the table. The champions were there, no different from what you'd see with workers drinking after their shift, sans the beer. Now might be a good time to talk to them individually…and ask for directions, of course.

He decided to start with the one he is most familiar with.

"Uh, hi." He greeted. Luckily, Lux wasn't talking to anybody at the moment, so it made things easier. She was cuddling the poro that came with them, so when she looked up to him, the tiny furball followed suit.

"Hi! Are you settling in well?" She asked, standing up.

"Yeah, thanks for, you know, all that." He scratched the back of his head.

"No problem! Hey, sorry if I can't help you like that, at least for now. I've got business to do, superiors to report to, all that. You get what I'm saying, right?"

"Right. Thanks." With Lux taking a seat, Grey diverted his attention to Quinn and Valor, the latter still somewhat untrusting of him.

"Hey there. Nice skills." Quinn grinned. While their partners were shaking hands, Valor and the poro continued their staring contest. He got nervous for a second, but the poro yielded, making Valor puff it's chest up in pride.

"Yeah, thanks. It's all teamwork. Looks like Valor's doing fine."

"Yeah, as Lux said earlier, most of it is just acting, and while our wounds look real, they're mostly just pain illusions or nullified injury. In case you didn't know, our weapons all get dampened to do close to no damage by themselves. If you want to hurt somebody, you're gonna have to try real hard. Of course, the strength of the dampening depends on who or what is being dampened."

"Ah, well, I'm just glad nobody's seriously hurt. To tell you the truth, I was a bit worried with Lux's injuries earlier. She's been pushing herself so hard, I—well, you know—"

"I understand." Quinn grinned. Grey then shook her hands and moved on to Garen and Xin Zhao, who are comparing the advantages of their weapons.

"You have done well, summoner." Garen commended. Xin nodded his head in approval, his aspect as stoic as ever.

"Now, is there something you need?" Grey felt rather unsure at the question. Why did he approach them again?

"Oh, no, nothing, nevermind. Thanks." He left the scene, somewhat embarrassed. Suddenly, something clicked in his mind as he remembered an important detail. With Quinn busy bonding with her partner Valor, he made a beeline towards Lux, who was about to leave herself.

"Hey! Forgot something?" Lux bubbled. Grey thought about the younger Crownguard's endless boisterousness, amused.

_Man, that liveliness has got to come from somewhere. Heh, it's as if she's running on nuclear energy. Wait, that would make sense._

_._"Yeah. Got a map or something—"

As if on cue, Ezreal appeared, apparently having just finished his meal.

"Who needs a map?" He said in his usual catchphrase. As he stood beside Lux, it reminded Grey of a certain "ship", and decided to ask straight away.

"Hey, um, are you guys, ya know…"

"Hm?" Lux tilted her head ever so slightly. Ezreal meanwhile didn't seem to catch on the notion. Grey took a deep breath, and made the jump.

"…dating?" It took a few moments before it registered to the two blondes' what the new summoner just said. Lux just smiled back at him, while Ezreal tried to hide a rapidly spreading blush.

"No!" The female champion said pretty joyfully, though no different from her usual disposition. He also detected a bit of panic from her frantic reply, but just shrugged it off. It's probably from the shock of said question. The Prodigal Explorer, on the other hand, looked not a bit disappointed, unlike what Grey expected. Probably it hasn't started yet? Or they have nothing between each other really, and are just friends? Ah well.

"So, does that mean you're single?" He asked. It was now his turn to be embarrassed, being smacked by what he just said. To call it "flustered" would be a _massive _understatement. It took all his willpower not to blabber and flee, as what he very much liked to do right now.

Opening his eyes, it seems even Lux was caught unguarded at the next question, and had her staring blankly for a bit. Grey wasn't sure if she was seriously thinking about his question, or she's still in shock. Ez, on the other hand, seems to be genuinely interested on what the teenaged champion has to say. Finally, Lux returned to her regular happy mood and replied.

"Yeah!"

The reply launched the atmosphere's awkwardness up to eleven, complete with a side of silence. It took a few moments before Grey recollected his perennially scattered wits, gathering enough guts to ask her just one time before disappearing into the crowd, at least until the end of the night.

"So…map?"

"Ah, yes, here." Lux pulled out from her side pouch. It looked like a small, compass-like circular object, with one hand-sized perfectly round tablet, with ring-like mechanisms above it. Each ring has small rune carvings, partitioned with vertical lines that doubled as interlocks.

"It's an arcane map, but the cool thing about it is that it gets the information from the carrier's mind, and projects an illusion of what it would look like mini-sized. Sufficiently skilled mages can upgrade and tinker with their own maps, even allowing the immediate surroundings to wear the illusion. Exciting, huh?" Lux happily urged, taking his hand and putting the curious device on it.

"It definitely is." Grey smiled, appreciative. "Thanks for everything Lux. I don't know how to repay you for all you've done to me."

"For the second time, think nothing of it! I've had fun as well, so don't mind." Just after she turned around, a thought stopped her from walking away at the situation. Command won't mind if she didn't report for a night, will they?

"_Weeeellll…_" She said, slowly facing back to the two men in front of her. "If you _really _want to make it up to me, then I have an idea." At those words, everyone around the immediate area hushed up, followed immediately with intent stares. The tension of the scene came back with a fury as Grey visibly tensed. He swallowed a ball of spit, both nervous and excited for what this..._genki girl _has to say. Her wide grinning at him isn't helping things either, as she intentionally delays what's on her mind. Ezreal, while curious, decided that he has some other things left to do and quickly excused himself.

Finally, Lux leaned closer to him and flicked his forehead.

"What was that for?!" Grey shouted, but a cursory look at her movements confused him. Her hands are formed in a loose fist, like they are holding eggs. They are positioned just below the collar bones and she is moving them back and forth.

"What does that mean? Bag?" The girl nodded, somehow looking even more younger than usual. The other champions in the room quickly lost interest, save a certain fox and her nine tails.

"Yeah! You had a bag with you when you went here right? Do you have some Earth stuff there?" She asked, leaning in with each question. Her eyes flared with curiosity, and Grey swears he's seeing her mouth water.

"Um, of course, mostly my gaming equipment and some sleepover stuff. It's mostly tech, really." The girl in front of him nodded rapidly, ever curious. He thought for a moment before sighing in surrender. Beckoning the girl to follow him, the two quickly left the food hall for some privacy.

* * *

A few moments later, a flash of light shone from the window. In the commotion of the large room, nobody noticed the split-second glint…except for Ahri who has been patiently waiting for her cue. It's the signal.

She must tail him, and get as much info as she can.

As she silently followed the pale-skinned Lux and her summoner, her enhanced canine senses allowed her to take a closer look on the man. Slightly tall, slightly chubby, skin the color of Karma's. Skin slightly bumpy, hair done in a simple yet complimenting fashion, and posture that spoke of humility yet with confidence. His gait told her he is very relaxed in his way, and is unrestrained by the limitations of schedule. A man of free and unbound spirit.

Her tails unconsciously raised themselves and waved about absentmindedly in the air. Even she had a mild interest…whether it is sexual or not depends on who's asking. As she stalked them further, she thought back on why exactly she accepted this arrangement. It was a beautiful spring day in the forests of Ionia, with her beautiful self taking a stroll in the midst of the bamboo trees.

"_Hey Ahri!" A boy, no older than 9, ran towards her, stopping just a few feet from her space. He took a few seconds to catch his breath before delivering his message._

"_Duchess Karma would like to see you. She said she wanted to talk to you about something important." The boy said as he fixed his clothes. He could see the foxy maiden in front of him, his long-time crush, and luckily—or perhaps unluckily—he is still far too young to be of the champion's taste, and thus she restrained her seductive aura. Besides, it's wrong and pedophilic. She's a fox, not a molester._

"_Did she tell you what it's about?" She asked, combing one of her tails._

"_No, she said it's for your ears only." The boy shrugged. He noticed that Ahri's ears are slowly turning left and right, as if looking—in this case, hearing—for something._

"_I see. Where is she then?" The fox replied. Her animal instincts are telling him there's something…somebody else in this forest, and they are not alone. Her instincts have saved her more times than she can count; it proved handy when a band of ruffians decided to…"force massage" her, and a quick Orb of Deception scared them away._

"_She's in the town center waiting for you. She said you'll know it once you get there." Finishing his quest, the little boy ran along, shouting his goodbye to Ahri. Meanwhile, the fox decided to ignore the tingling feeling for now and headed to the village._

_The village, as it has always been, an understatement. While it's exotic and somewhat spiritual designs are certainly alien in contrast to the mainland city-states' aesthetic, the Ionian capital is more or less the same size as Demacia or Noxus. Despite the seemingly simplistic build, the architecture is deceivingly well-thought. Proper engineering design made sure that wind flows through households amply, and weather control can be adjusted by the multiple layers of each sliding door. The style is reminiscent of Earth-Asian make, specifically China, Korea and Japan. Despite these, their colors blended wonderfully, and the bright colors are a welcome sight to the eyes._

_Walking through the city, Ahri casually let her tails float freely in the air, leisurely taking in the sights with graceful wonder. Occasionally, a suitor would stop by and hand her sweets to flowers to statues of herself and anything between, but she kindly shooed them away. With so much eye candy to consume, it didn't take long before Ahri found herself in front of the town hall. Fortunately for her, Karma is waiting not in a conference room, but in the lobby. She is in the middle of transcendental meditation, and swathes of green energy danced around her form. Before Ahri can take another step forward, the dark-skinned woman stood up graciously and strode towards her._

As she finished her brief reminiscence, her body yielded to her consciousness as she surveyed her surroundings. Apparently, they're in one of the Institute's parks, and the pair of humans she was trailing is sitting on a bench, casually chatting like old friends.

"So, Lux. To clarify, you have only one sibling, and that is Garen, right?" Grey asked. So far, things have been going, as Fizz would say it, swimmingly. The events earlier in the day had him in a shock, but he prided himself in adjusting quickly. No use for maintaining shell shock after all.

"Yeah, why'd you ask?" Lux replied, slightly tilting her head to one side. Ends of her hair are flying in the wind as a mild breeze flew past the two. A brief silence stood between them as Grey tried to recall the memory. All that he remembers starting from riding that magical motorcycle until just before he got his new Institute dorm are all very fuzzy and dreamlike. In fact, everything that happened today seemed dreamlike, and if it weren't for that drained feeling in his head, he's sure he'll find himself once again in front of the computer, having dozed off after a particularly good game using Lux. Faintly recalling the event, Grey took a few seconds to fit what he had to say in a single sentence.

"I think I met your four siblings, your petite mom and your…big dad." Grey said to the champion, who is staring curiously at him.

"No. I have only one sibling and you already met him. Are you alright? You look pale." Ignoring the understandably ridiculous claim, Lux quickly took a look at Grey's form, and noted the sagging shoulders and slouched back. His eyes seemed to be half-closed, and his breath came with an effort that she wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't been looking so closely. His glasses also seemed to be dirty, but the young man quickly wiped it off with the ends of his shirt.

"Well, while I'm a pretty open-minded guy, and I love experiencing new things, this is all a bit too much to me. And I think that…dream I had may be a, er, I dunno, a side effect of my mundane body having a First-Contact-scenario with the arcane." He said, rubbing his head. Lux calling him out on his streak made him realize just how exhausted he was as the adrenaline started to retreat from his system. His whole body suddenly became heavy, and he was _very _tempted to just lie down on that bench right there…

_And have Lux give me a lap pillow. Yeah right._

Shaking it off, Grey managed to give her a somewhat strained smile, worrying the lady even further. He shot her a resigned smirk in return.

"You should get some rest. There's going to be a ball tonight, and you need to be in your best condition." The worried expression never left her face as she looked over her new friend, anxious. The friend, on the other hand, is in a complete loss. Not only is the day unfinished, he also had to go to a pa—ball (he didn't mind much, but he'll have to walk on eggshells the entire time. Politics is stressing at best). Luckily, Lux has been _very_ accommodating and continues to be so. Whatever mischief that had cracked itself opened earlier is now drowned by the heavy seawashed feeling of fatigue, his mentally strained state not helping either. After a completely unnecessary pro-con weighing, he turned towards the distraught champion and shrugged, half-smiling.

"Alright, you win. I'll be getting some shut-eye. Some potions would be real handy though." It's true. Being a Med student graduate, his best friends at times were coffee, Red Bull, or some other energizer mixed-n'-paired with snacks in his dorm. This brand of exhaustion is not so different really, if it was not for the feeling of slight paresthesia all over his body. Lux shuffled her hands through her small pack, found nothing, and just shrugged, her palms turned up in a disappointed fashion. Sighing, he shook her hands and stood up.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you have much to do, and I need to catch up on sleep, so you go on ahead and I can take care of myself. I can show you all you want later, but as you know, duty calls." Grey voiced, waving her off as she skipped away happily. With map in hand, the tired summoner adjusted his glasses as he started his arduous journey back to his newly-acquired bed.

_I feel like I'm forgetting something…_

* * *

Still within the lush cover of one of the park's occasionally tall shrubbery, Ahri internally debated on whether or not she should charm him—in his state, she doesn't even need to use magic—and gain the lead, while at the same time safeguarding her charge as well. It didn't take a hextech scientist to know that Lux was doing the same thing, intentionally or not. The fact that she's been very accommodating, though not strange, means that external influences will have a hard time to get to him. She had vaguely heard of some other special person under Lissandra's charge—strange as that may seem—but right now what matters more is Grey. Wagging one of her tails ever so slightly, a green shape preternaturally dashed at her near-instantly before settling down just a few feet beside her. The shape tilted her head slightly at the fox, wondering what it might be.

"Should I?" Ahri's seemingly simple question had Akali rapidly considering the options. The original plan was to have Ahri watch over Grey, and have _her _watch _her_, the fox. Despite her supposed loyalty, she is still an unstable element, and might have her own motives. Even if the possible sexual agenda is ignored, too many things can go wrong; a big risk with no safety net. Even if the target follows Ahri, there's no assurance that they'll ally themselves to Ionia, or that they're free from threats, physical or otherwise. Even now, Kinkou has no allegiance, and is only doing a favor on Karma's behalf. Having Ahri follow him instead would ensure that her position won't be compromised and at the same time maintain contact with the target.

Giving the signal, Akali leapt and left the fox to her wiles. She has to report back to Karma their progress. Groceries come after that.

* * *

It took some time, but finally Shyvana found her way to where she was looking for. She's currently in the "Magical Constructs" arm of the Infirmary, where she's looking for a certain stone gargoyle with a penchant for crag and avian jokes. The sentinel in question is surrounded by human apothecaries—a third doctor, a third technician, a third magician—while aided by their hextech assistant counterparts. The sound of whirring machinery and flowing magic is never out of place in this room.

"Hmm? Ah, Shyvana, greetings. What brings you to this area of the Infirmary?" Galio gently drove away the healers to make way for his reptilian friend. He looked fine, with no more of the cracks, his skin newly polished. His null-magic runes glowed a content, warm glow, signifying his recovery to health.

"I was wondering about that new summoner in the cafeteria today. Heard he skipped Academy immediately, sent straight into the fray. Politics, I mean. What do you think of him?" A considerate look shifted his face as Galio gathered his thoughts and crystallized them into a single idea.

"He's a good lad, with a good head on his shoulders. I think you'll like him." He said finally.

"You think so? I did get the feeling that he's different from other summoners, but he didn't look that strange to me, apart from that gauntlet of his. Wonder what it is." Shyvana continued, looking around the room. Blitzcrank is around, entertaining a few employees with his new dual-grab system, while Orianna is busy tweaking her ball.

"It was given to him by an official just before the match started. As far as I know, it didn't do anything to directly affect the match somehow. Probably a family heirloom? Or he has a relative in the Institute and just passed along the gauntlet? He didn't talk about it and as such, I have no idea where it's from or what it's for. Regardless, from what Lux has been acting, he's been a very good summoner so far. No arrogance, no vanity, no grandiloquence." Galio nodded. "He also didn't crack during the match, and handled the game with the finesse of an assassin. He sent Lux to hit the right spots at just the right time, created diversions while they tore a hole through the enemy's defenses and so on. As I said, I think you'll like him." As Galio finished, he saw Shyvana sitting down an ornate chair, thinking. After a while, she stood up and crossed her arms, with one leg behind her.

"Huh. Sounds interesting. There'll be a match the day after tomorrow, right? The one about the borderlords asking the Demacian government for more land? I might join in." She said. "Besides, it's been a while since I fought in the Rift. Patrol has been boring lately. No bandits, no monsters, nothing. It's as if something in those forests is keeping them away."

"It may also be because it's autumn, and the creatures in the forest are preparing for the winter. I can't say anything for the bandits and outlaws however." Galio replied. "I've read the reports. Apparently, criminal activity has been in an all-time low since the Raids."

"Possible. Still, the point stands. If this summoner proves worthy, then I might consider him an ally. He's being given a hell of an early start, so he'd better not disappoint." A toothy grin formed on Shyvana's lips, leaving a passing Orianna nescient.

* * *

"_You should get some rest. There's gonna be a ball tonight, and you need to be in your best condition."_

"So she says, but I don't even have a tux!" Grey sighed as he crashed on his bed, remembering the suit issue moments ago. Earlier that day, he walked wearily with a nagging thought behind his head, and now it fully manifested itself as the pendulum in the wall clock swung hypnotically, it's ticking sound unhelping. But despite all that, there's a windfall; Grey didn't notice it at first, but the room itself seemed to radiate a calming aura. It felt like a cool wave of sea and breeze washed over his mind and let it flow…

"I wonder where I can get one…It's not as if someone will just knock up the door and give me a black suit…" He mused as he lied down on the bed. "Hell, while we're at it, why not Ahri in her Midnight skin dress? Ahahahaha—"

As he laughed, he heard a quick rap at the door.

_Wait…This can't be serious._

Completely forgetting the peephole's existence, Grey once again gulped spitball as he slowly inched his hand towards the doorknob. With each small step his heart hammered faster.

_This better not be…_

Instead of pulling a crack between the door and the doorframe, his arm pulled open the door with much gusto, unconsciously eager to see who's there.

Let it never be said that God has no sense of humor.

Standing innocently in front of him is no other than Ahri wearing her Midnight suit, with no less than a folded black tux on her hands. She is smiling happily, with her head tilted slightly and her face-whisker markings curved just right. Her nine tails are wagging slowly and leisurely, while her ears are pricked up like summer grass. Her perfume wafted gently on his nose. She smells like lilacs.

"Um…hi. You must be in the wrong—" His sentence was cut halfway through by the foxy lady's svelte fingertip, her index on top of his lips. Her seemingly harmless smile proved itself undecipherable as Grey tried to make sense of why exactly she was here. Also, she's in a formal dress, the type that you go to parties with. Why would she be here?

Probably for the ball? That makes it all the more confusing.

"Hi~" She said. The champion casually strolled inside the room as she took in her surroundings. Aside from the familiar subtle calming spell, the room is surprisingly organized for someone who arrived within the day, and with no helpers too. Everything looks the way they should be, except for the thin black rectangle on the far table, with wires hanging beside it. They look far more advanced than those of Piltover's, but it's there.

As the foxy woman sat down on the bed, Grey took a seat near her and took a breath.

"So…what brings you here?" He asked. He had absolutely no idea why would she be here. Sure there's the tux, but why the hell would she go to the extent of getting him one, and _personally _delivering to him? That seems odd.

"Just bringing this here. Why? Am I not welcome in your quarters? Do you not like me?" She replied. Her body shifted slightly, except for her eyes, which held his gaze in it's amber irises.

"I can't say that I don't like you, just wondering what you're doing here." He explained, taking a good look at her features. She definitely looks Asian, but with a hint of Western influence. And contrary to her splash art, she is _not _pale as a ghost, but instead some sort of a milky-ethereal white mix.

"Well…then why aren't you complaining when it's Lux escorting you?" Ahri countered, her soft stare never leaving his face.

"I—well—" Grey tried to come up with something, but the fox's ostensibly innocent questions came like suppressive fire. Her face is also showing apparent sadness, which made him feel guilty.

"Is it because of my reputation? Tell me, do you think lowly of me, Grey?" She said as she slowly walked up to him, bent, and met his eyes at eye level. Her hands are on his shoulders, and they were so close they can hear each other's breaths. Inch by inch, Ahri's face came nearer to his, and just as he closed his eyes…

"Just kidding!" She exclaimed, flicking the paralyzed man on his forehead. Her giggle turned into a full laugh as Grey laid down on the seat, mind static from the sensual overload of the Nine-Tailed Fox's assault. He took a good minute to let his thoughts swim before coming back to his senses, finding the inquisitive champion eyeing his Earth equipment with great curiosity. Ignoring—attempting to, rather—Ahri's generous rear, Grey called out to the purple figure not far from him. Despite the sensual aura that she practically _oozes _out, he found her curious expression, with the tip of her index on her lips, _cute_. The champion herself didn't respond as she looked over to him and paused for a bit. Then, catching the unwary summoner, she leapt on him and cried.

"Get naked!"

* * *

"I'd appreciate it more if you told it more civilly. Major bonus points if you stepped out of my room as I got dressed." Grey said in defeat, with the vixen champion in tow. Many a summoner of both sexes looked at him with envy, while a few champions hooted at them as they passed by. Graves had this knowing smirk complete with his cigar, and Sarah Fortune, widely known as Miss Fortune, nodded approvingly at his purple escort. They are walking towards another part of the vast city of Demacia for the grand ball to welcome all the new summoners. Most that walked by wore expensive clothing, and had the look of someone important. If it wasn't for the mandatory blue flower attached to their left chest, it would be very difficult to distinguish the summoners from the other guests.

Ahri felt her charge's nerves rattle as they slowed their walking pace when they turned the corner.

"Are you okay?" She asked, tugging slightly at his sleeve. His tux is colored blue with black linings, complemented with a dark shawl and amber pin holding the cloak together. The pin itself worked well, and it nicely "drew out the shine in his eyes", or so the stylist said. It wasn't even a choice; he would've preferred Ahri did his look. The hired stylist wasn't very familiar with the notion of "personal space". But then again, so was Ahri…

Hey, at least you get a sexy fox to feel you up, right?

"I'm fine. I just don't feel as flexible as in my casual clothes. I feel like Amumu, just replace bandages with expensive wear. At least he doesn't have to pay for damage repair." He said, steadying themselves as the reception greeted them and ushered them in.

If there was one non-magical thing that Runeterrabs did better than Earthlings, it's their extravagance in parties.

Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in white light. The double doors from which they were ushered in is situated under a platform connected to the second level, and the staircase splitting in two on either side of the entrance. The floor is made of marble, with carpets of new make. The support columns, likewise made of marble, stood among the crowd as they paid silent witnesses to the lively chatter of the hall. Long tables of food, some of which Grey hasn't seen before, laid on the east side of the hall, their very aroma drawing people in. On the west wing are seats in which people of various importance sat. A few even looked like royals!

But before they were allowed in, another receptionist gently stopped them.

"Is something wrong?" Grey asked innocently. Ahri gave a knowing nod to the man as he faced them.

"The usual for me, please." Meanwhile, her charge is looking at her, confused.

"Oh, it's about how you want to be announced by." She said, nodding at the dark-skinned man, who is waiting for Grey to speak for himself.

"A title…do I even have one? I can just make something up on the go, right?" He looked at Ahri expectantly. People went by them as other receptionists accommodated them, and he's sure another champion or two made it inside already.

"_I can't use a title that points or hints at me coming from Earth, so…"_

Ahri pulled him in, breaking his line of thought.

"Normally." She said, amused at her escort's serious expression.

"Normally?"

"Well, you haven't made a name for yourself just yet, right? As you grow in fame and power, people start to call you names and describe you by making their own titles for you, and one just, you know, sticks." The fox in purple said, causing Grey to chuckle in amusement.

_Makes sense._

"However, champions have the honor of making their own title for themselves. Fun!" Ahri teased, but she was ignored as Grey looked like he was preparing himself. Breathe in, breathe out.

Showtime.

* * *

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Gregorio Y. Hidalgo de Rivera! Together with his escort, the Nine-tailed Fox, Ahri!" The audience clapped fervently as they entered the hall. Approving glances came their way, though mostly on Ahri's side of the pair. The looks that he received were a mix of both good and bad. He could even hear some whispering here and there, murmurs and sideways glances not exempt from the response.

* * *

Lux spat her punch in surprise as one of the servants called out his name. She always thought that the name "Grey" did not fit with the surname "de Rivera". She can see her brother nodding in approval as Grey looked tall and confident, walking with Ahri herself. For some reason, she felt her mood slowly draining down the sink.

Speaking of Ahri, how do they know each other?

* * *

Behind a column, Katarina leaned in as she listened to the proceedings from the second floor. Apparently, _the _new summoner just came in. It would benefit Noxus greatly if he was to join their cause, especially since his strategies appear more Noxian than Demacian. Practical, brutal, and effective.

He is also easy on the eyes. A nice bonus.

* * *

Galio watched as Shyvana looked over Grey's form intently. It's rare for her to be like this, he mused. The last time she was this curious was when she was given her first set of armor—the orange ones—for her first match ever on the field. When everyone else had left her to her intimidating self, she jumped around happily, punching and kicking the air as she went. He was perched on top a tower at the time, and was at just the right angle to watch her playfully spin around.

Of course, he can't tell her that. They may be on friendly terms, but dragons are dragons, and her claws can rend stone quite easily. Speaking of dragons, the half-breed herself wore a crimson dress the shade of her hair and eyes, and it hugged her figure quite snugly. He himself wore a silver tuxedo, had his wings polished, and even a hair fixture. Such an industrious effort for a few hours, he mused. This happened only once a year after all. A little extravagance from time to time hurts nobody.

"Do you want to go to him?" He asked. At that, Shyvana settled back on her seat, ignoring the mass of wooers, summoner or otherwise, packing around her. She drank a whole cup of wine in one swig, wiping her mouth with the back of her wrists.

"Now, now, that isn't very ladylike." Galio teased. In response, the dragonborn pointed at a door near the vast windows that overlooked the city-state.

"Come back to me later when that pinkheaded law enforcer inside the casino comes along girlier than Lux. Then we'll talk." She retorted, ignoring the spoon and drinking the soup from the bowl's edge, once again depleting it's contents in one down.

"Touche." The gargoyle laughed, fixing a dent on his suit.

* * *

"But that's not your problem isn't it?" Ahri nudged him gently at his right rib, pulling him nearer. She noticed a lot of jealous stares from both sexes, all aimed at the owner of the arm she's holding, but she ignored them.

"No, not really, but it's been a long time since I heard my name being said that way. It feels strange." Grey admitted as they shook hands with some of the delegates that went their way. Most of whom they met are large-scale merchants, eager to make an impression on the impressing young summoners themselves. Came after them are the not-so-subtle politicians of firstly Demacia, then Noxus, followed by various emissaries of different city-states…though the Bilgewater men seem to be missing, or already met them in the guise of being merchants.

In addition to the men and women of power who talked and walked and danced around the hall, Grey noticed champions from far and wide, meeting together here in the grand ball. There's Lux sitting near a table, wiping the spilled punch on her table with a handkerchief. There's Garen, talking to a guard, oddly still in his armor. There's also Shyvana and Galio in a spot below one of the platforms leading to the second-floor rooms, the former leisurely wolfing down the food on her plate while the latter talked with what looked like the guests of honor, smiling along with them in his Debonair suit. Debonair Jayce also appeared, leaving a trail of squealing young ladies in his wake.

"C'mon, let's get some dinner and have a seat." Said Ahri as she pulled Grey across the hall and near the buffet, eager to have her fill of the delicious human food (though just enough to not have herself fat; a fat fox is a slow fox). Grey, on the other hand, is having a _hard _time ignoring his…physiological reactions as the kumiho's impressive breasts kept rubbing on his elbow. No League summoner, Earth or Runeterran, knows not Ahri's lascivious reputation, and his head is practically screaming at him to get some space between them as soon as humanly possible.

_But it's so hard to resist…_

He can smell her perfume, as well as a slight sweet scent emanating from her being, and the fur of her tails is ever so slightly brushing against his face…No "fur" from Earth matched this kind of feeling…

* * *

"Hey." The sharp, snapping sound caused him to snap from his stupor, and see the young lady in white and blue standing in front of him. Lux had a slight shade of red on her face. She was carrying a red liquid on her wine glass; it looked like a daiquiri, but in liquid form. She also spoke a bit slower than she did earlier, and her eyes are half-closed. She's drunk. Turning to the glass in his hand, he gave it a suspicious look.

He's also drunk.

"Are you listening to me?!" Lux snapped as her punch almost splashed out of it's confines. Grey rapidly shook his head as he did a double take. Those dancers on the floor more than doubled, and the remains of their meal are still being looked after by the staff. The smell of burnt cigar in the air also intensified, and the chatting became far more livelier than before. What once grouped the crowds were intentions, now they huddled by their groups: The adults and above gathered near the vast scenery and discussed whatever older adults do, the younger adults and some teenagers almost past their puberty danced themselves away, laughing and singing happily. What's left of the children are sleeping on the side benches, deep in their own private oases.

Despite the friendly atmosphere permeating the older crowd, a familiar figure stood among them, standing tall, proud, and aloof, as if she was above the vices of men and women surrounding her. Grey realized that he was looking at Fiora Laurent, his theory confirmed by the streak of red hair on her bangs.

The sound of Lux's blubbering took his attention back to her as he saw her this time jumping up and down eagerly, like a young girl receiving the toy she's wanted all year. Amused, he hesitantly took her right hand, calming her down…or at least, stopping her childish jumping.

"Dance! Heeeeey, let's danceeee!" Just now, she sounded like one of those young girls trying to make cute noisesor something similar when they're pleading in want of something. She bent forward as she met him at eye level, her shoulders slightly raised while her hair hang freely in the air. Her eyes had surprising clarity, and she sounded genuinely inviting. Sighing in defeat, he started to respond when the drunk Lux cut him off.

"C'mon! You've been in that charmed state for more than an hour! Is she really that much sexier than I am?!" She blurted out, half-screaming. That little factlet reminded him of his pockets.

"_Crap, where's my phone and wallet?! …Oh right, I left it in the room." _Recovering from his mini-heart-attack, Lux's words replayed themselves in his head, shocking him as the hammered lady continued to look at him with drunk-puppy-eyes.

"_Double crap, I've been floating for more than an hour?! And I didn't even notice?!" _Impulsively, he took what's left of Lux's swill and downed it in one go, then slumping down on the chair, slouching.

"G-Greggy? Are you…ok?" She said, barely stopping herself from belching. The boy didn't respond, so the younger Crownguard leaned in slowly, closer and closer until she's just a few inches away from his head, when suddenly he leapt up and cheered.

"Let's go party!" The blonde girl was surprised for a second, but easily matched her companions enthusiasm.

"Yeah!"

* * *

"Ah…" Ahri sighed, contended as she slowly picked up her scattered clothes from the floor. Right now, her naked form skillfully skipped past through the unconscious bodies of five men, their faces wearing a smile as long as Renekton's blade, and teeth just as shiny. Squinting under the dim light, she pawed through the top of the four-post bed until she felt what was looking for.

It is her orb, glowing green with energy as she picked it up. It hummed lowly as it responded to her touch. The sphere itself was surprisingly easy to hide, for there was a secret compartment on the ceiling of the queen furniture, filled with toys not meant for children. It also amused her a bit that these men often looked up to it unwittingly in the heat of their…athletics, unknowingly speeding up the process. Holding it in her hand, she let it orbit around her as she continued to fetch her garments, basking in her conquest.

Then there it came. Right as she entered the bathroom and turned on the lights, she heard it. She felt it crawling underneath her skin. Her eyes are starting to glow wildly, her tongue sensually licking her lips, her body warm and formed—

"AH!" She screamed. Peering nervously at the chaotic scene of the bedroom, it was only a fallen vase that startled her. Taking a moment to calm her rapidly beating heart, she looked at herself again in the mirror. That woman, that…beast.

It will always be a part of her. She knew that. The hunt, the chase, the delicious feeling of conquest as she consumes the life force of those she comes in contact with. The thrusting of hips, the chasing of breaths, the hurried kisses as they consume their lust for each other…only for her partner to realize what was truly going on.

That he's about to die.

That side of her, that monster, it lavished it. The few moments it's victims had are consumed in panic as they lay limp on the surface, their souls helplessly watching life being siphoned away at the seductress's lips. The feeling of absolute terror they had as it feasted on the life to the last drop, and how tasty it all was.

Not realizing that she's been balling her fists, she loosened her grip and stared weakly, her heart heavy with sorrow as the memory of consuming and devouring the life off of their passions flood her thoughts. Her heart felt heavy that she was so lost, so trapped in her own flesh. In her own craving. Heavy that she's helpless to her own instincts.

She was once whole; equal parts feral and graceful, equal parts wild and docile. Now? Her growing human nature kills her every time she feasts, her growing hunger followed by a rending heartache.

She raised her head slowly to face her own face in the mirror.

Beautiful.

With shaking hands, her fingers slowly traced down her face, her smooth skin bringing pleasure to the touch. At that moment, tears started flowing down her face.

* * *

Grey groggily dragged the surprisingly light Lux away from the dance floor and plopped her down on a nearby sofa. He still can't shake away the movements in her dance, the way her body swayed, the way her hips swung and spun to the music. He would've understood if it was some instrumental performance that the ancient Europeans courtiers loved so much to hear.

The music beating was more like those old energetic Spanish tunes, the kind that made you want to dance by simply hearing it. It wouldn't be out of place in a duel, he mused.

Still, the way she just danced and released on the floor was something to behold. It was in such stark contrast that even as excited as he was, he was stopped, flabbergasted at the once-proper lady.

_It's probably the drink. Poor girl was looking for some release, I guess, and the punch gave way for that to happen._

He then remembered that Lux was a child soldier. A somber warmth spread inside him as he saw his companion's soft face sleeping peacefully, red as a tomato. An overwhelming urge spiked within him, and before he knew it he found himself fixing her hair, touching and holding the tufts on her face back behind her ears. Slowly caressing her chin, Grey found himself mellowing inside so much, it's almost bursting!

_WAIT A MINUTE! Stop this now, Grey! This is sexual harassment!_

Grey thought to himself, but even he was shocked with what he answered.

…_and I…don't care._

It took a surprising amount of effort to pull his hand off the unconscious champion. It freaked him out, to say the least.

_What's gotten into me? Is this the drunk me? Am I drunk?_

Grey took a minute to settle down and stare at the sleeping form of Lux. Heh, she's even murmuring.

_Is she safe here? Well of course she is, she's a champion. But…will she be alright if I leave here like this?_

Standing up, he decided to take a walk and get some fresh air, leaving the younger Crownguard to rest. The drinks buzzed him up and he needed something to keep his mind clear. Lord knows the booze is starting to get to his head, and he's pretty sure that Lux will be fine where he left her. He'll be back. Besides, clean Runeterran wind is much more pure and fresh than those of the metro's, and he'd like to inhale massive lungfuls of it. Hell, if they had a bottle he might've even considered buying one!

_That's just stupid._

Chuckling to himself, Grey slowly walked towards the massive twin-doors—

"_Really? You'll leave her alone like that?"_

"What the—" The drunk summoner wheeled on his heels, almost falling on the process, but didn't find the source of the voice. It sounded exactly like his tone, but there was something _off_ about it.

_Must be the beer._

Sighing, Grey conceded to the voice that chastised him. As much as he wanted to still hang around and mingle with the Runeterrans, talk to them, get to know them and all that, he still had a responsibility to ensure that Lux gets off from the party safely. Nobody assigned the job to him, but it will be a shame to just leave her lying there, after all that she's done for him.

That's what he said to himself, but in truth, the desire to still mingle around rivaled his conscience's effort. It's not as if these things happen all the time, right? Of course Lux can handle herself. She's a woman of age now, and she can handle herself, right? Oh yeah, she also underwent military training too, so she'll know what to do if she gets in a bind, right? And also, there are so many champions and people around that harm falling on her sounds really really dumb, right? And—

"In the end, it's up to you whether or not you want to stay. But please reconsider from leaving your new friend behind." A regal voice spoke up from behind him, causing him to, quite literally, reel back in shock.

"A-Ashe!" Grey stammered out. It wasn't every day you met a royal. A royal of all things! Though, oddly…

"Why are you in your, err, let's go with suit. Don't important people usually wear something more formal than that?" He asked. The tipsy feeling is starting to wear off little by little.

"You should be careful. Some get offended by your words." Ashe said, her face serious. Seeing the new summoner in front of her start to panic, she laughed. He didn't have any of the tact and formality of the courts, but he is genuine.

"Don't worry, I'm not one of them." At this, Grey sighed in relief. "A pleasure to meet you, my name is Ashe, Queen of the Avarosa." She curtsied.

"A-ah, my name is—" The panicking man was cut off by the Frost Archer.

"No need, I already know your name. Just be a bit more careful around some people. Now, if you'll excuse me." She said, leaving him to his thoughts. She'd have to have a scout sent after him, just in case.

* * *

How exactly does one hail a cab in Runeterra?

This is the question in Grey's mind as he dragged Lux along one of the brightly-lit luxury districts of Demacia. They weren't very far from the palace, he realized, and he could simply ask for directions there. If he remembered this correctly and wasn't just hallucinating things, he thinks he saw Garen leaving for the palace. From what he saw in who he was, Garen didn't seem the type to ignore their siblings in their time of need.

So why did Lux say that sentence earlier?

"_I wish my brother's as awesome as you are!"_

Yeah, she was just drunk. There's _no _way he could tank five fed champs in a late-game clash, nor is he in such close relations to the _crown_. He also couldn't do push-ups on a handstand while wearing _plate_ _armor _and with _one _hand. He definitely can't condense enough Materia to summon a gigantic golden sword in the air and slam it down on someone else.

_This girl's drunk-er than I thought. I need to crash too._

He then realized that he isn't looking at the right place, for this was the _luxury _district. It wouldn't make sense for people frequenting these areas to not bring their own carriages, hexicles (he didn't know what hextech vehicles are actually called, so he made up something on the fly), or some other variant. His best bet would be the Commercial districts, and the nearest one, based on his not-so-quick walk with Ahri, is at least a mile away.

_Think now, Grey, think! These kinds of stuff are supposed to be your forte! You're supposed to be the one reliable in case of emergencies. Wait, wait, let's see what we have. We have two drunk youths, one unconscious, and a few gold and silver coins._

He sighed. That wasn't going to help much. He looked around. Nobles are slowly milling out of the hall as they themselves had their fill of the party. Most were couples, faces red with wine, while others are by themselves, themselves a mixed bag of conclusions. Some were happy, while some are sad, and a few apparently had their own music in their heads as they waltzed towards their carriages in a carefree attitude. The champions in the crowd headed off to a singular direction (the Institute, he guessed), while a few apparently still had business to do…wait, is that Ahri? Clumsily wiping his glasses clean, he put it back on and squinted at the now-clear shapes of the fox champion being surrounded by five men, all seemingly tired and out of breath. What could've they-

_Now's not the time to be thinking about stuff like that, Grey. Focus._

Looking around once more, he sighed in defeat as he looked back at the hall. He noticed a particular female servant with long hair, dark brown eyes, and (surprisingly) Asian features on her face. If he is to hazard a guess, she'd probably be an Ionian, though she looks strangely familiar. But in the end, it doesn't really matter right now.

Wonder if the lord of the palace will let him stay for the night?

* * *

Akali braced herself as Grey—as he preferred to be called—came in eye contact with her. She could feel his eyes scanning her face, as if he's looking at some sketch from the Piltover Wanted posters. Luckily for her, the man was drunk as hell. It probably would've gone worse if he wasn't.

_I suppose my work's done here._

The objective was to watch him for a day and see what happens. To study him, to watch how he moves, how he interacts. How he talks to people, what his flaws are. What he wants, what he doesn't, what makes him tick.

And she's made note of all of them.

Now the Kinkou has repaid their favor on the Duchess, and she is once again free to do as she wished—within reason, of course. Still, she had the feeling that she'll be assigned to the same assignment afterwards. After all, this…Gregorio…is a factor completely alien to Runeterra, even moreso than those Void creatures. Balance must be upheld at all costs.

Speaking of balance, she still needed to get her mandatory 10-hour sleep. In order to maintain peak physical and mental performance, any combatant must maintain adequate rest. Just a bit more, and she could go back to camp in the forests…or probably rent an inn.

The two drunk youths are clumsily attempting to walk through a corridor in an effort to find somewhere to crash on. Grey is still even holding the strings of his gold pouch on his hands; for some reason, nobody has yet managed to steal it from him. Odd. Ever slowly, Grey managed to drag the both of them in front of a seemingly vacant room. If she remembered it correctly, this was supposed to be one of the nobles' room, but he had left with a young lady for their, er, appointment. The room left a few clues of what the couple did before leaving. The slight disarrangement of bed pillows – a few strewn on the ground haphazardly – and some wine poured into two glasses, it's bottle chilling in a bucket of ice. The room itself smelled of perfume, with the curtains covering the sizeable mirrors. Fire is burning steadily in the fireplace, and the lights are dim, making the area rather…sensual.

Whatever the reason the couple had for leaving, Akali is grateful.

Taking her mind off such scandalous things, the ninja took a final note on Grey before rounding a corner and jumping off the roof.

The two new occupants entered the room with much difficulty as one of them continued to be dead weight, while the other one is slowly succumbing to exhaustion. He was tired, dammit, and even if that punch somehow had the effect of 10 Red Bulls combined, he still needed his damned rest.

This also meant that he's dog-tired, and the effect of alcohol on his cognitive systems is starting to become less effective. He seems to react a second slower, the world seems to spin a tiny little bit, so on and so forth. Speaking of the world, Grey groggily shifted his head to face East. It's still a few more hours away from sunrise.

Sighing, he forced his head away and swung his head left and right to check where he can lie down. Spotting what looked like a couple's couch, he clumsily threw the young maiden on the bed as his body lost it's balance, the earlier weight taking his equilibrium with it.

Thankfully, he had just enough of brains running to properly crash himself onto the proper furniture as his eyelids started to feel like hanging weights. Tomorrow would be the time for questions. For now, rest is much more welcome.

**AN: Finally! Glad to be back on the writer's seat. Thanks for bearing with me, and apologies for taking so long. Had a specially hard time writing down that Ahri part (even now I'm still not satisfied with it). Oh also, just ignore those "Act I" titles from the previous chapters. It just dawned on me how irrelevant it is at the moment. This has no bearing on the content though, just a slight mishap on chapter title-ing. Let me know what you guys think about it (the chapter as a whole) and of course, thanks for reading.**


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